11 September 2013
New DNA database will have profiles of 1,000 sex offenders
"THE new DNA database will contain profiles of over 1,000 sex offenders.
It will allow the Gardai to match a DNA profile from a persona to an unidentified DNA crime scene profile – and also to quickly eliminate other suspects.
The new DNA database will also include past and present samples from crime scenes – in a move which may help to resolve unsolved cases.
It will operate using software supplied by the FBI at the Forensic Science Laboratory – which is based in Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter said that the database would include all those on the sex offenders register once the legislation came into effect. There are currently 1,280 people on the sex offenders register.
Gardai will be allowed to take mouth swabs or hair follicles from convicted criminals and criminal suspects so that DNA profiles can be created and entered onto the database to check for possible matches against crime scene samples.
As well as sex offenders, most of the samples taken will be from suspects arrested in connection with serious offences carrying sentences of five years or more."
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-dna-database-will-have-profiles-of-1000-sex-offenders-29571368.html
Showing posts with label DNA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DNA. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Fallacious?
Published: 10 hrs ago
Jeopardy law rapist gets life
"Coward ... rapist WB
A MAN who raped an OAP 16 years ago was jailed for life yesterday — after the double jeopardy law was overturned.
WB, 56, beat and raped a mum of one, 66, in her home in Stratford, East London, in 1997.
He was cleared in 1999 after a judge ruled DNA evidence against him could not be used against him.
Back then, a person could not be tried a second time for the same crime and builder B thought he had got away with it.
But changes to the law in 2005, to allow those cleared of a serious offence to be put on trial for the crime again, meant B could be retried for the rape.
Jurors at London’s Old Bailey were told a one-in-a-billion DNA match linked the grandfather of six, of Walthamstow, to the attack.
Coward B refused to come up from the cells to be sentenced.
Ordering he serve a minimum 10½years, Judge Peter Rook said he had committed a crime of “extreme violence and depravity”.
B beat his victim so badly she was unrecognisable. She died in 2002. Her family said: “She never got over it.”"
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4989218/Jeopardy-law-rapist-gets-life-in-prison-after-being-originally-cleared-in-1999.html
*****
Prosecutor's fallacy
"The prosecutor's fallacy is a fallacy of statistical reasoning, typically used by the prosecution to argue for the guilt of a defendant during a criminal trial. Although it is named after prosecutors it is not specific to them, and some variants of the fallacy can be utilized by defence lawyers arguing for the innocence of their client.
At its heart the fallacy involves assuming that the prior probability of a random match is equal to the probability that the defendant is innocent.
For instance, if a perpetrator is known to have the same blood type as a defendant and 10% of the population share that blood type; then to argue on that basis alone that the probability of the defendant being guilty is 90% makes the prosecutors's fallacy, in a very simple form.
The terms "prosecutor's fallacy" and "defense attorney's fallacy" were originated by William C. Thompson and Edward Schumann in the 1987 article Interpretation of Statistical Evidence in Criminal Trials, subtitled The Prosecutor's Fallacy and the Defense Attorney's Fallacy.
The fallacy can arise from multiple testing, such as when evidence is compared against a large database. The size of the database elevates the likelihood of finding a match by pure chance alone; i.e., DNA evidence is soundest when a match is found after a single directed comparison because the existence of matches against a large database where the test sample is of poor quality may be less unlikely by mere chance.
The basic fallacy results from misunderstanding conditional probability and neglecting the prior odds of a defendant being guilty before that evidence was introduced.
When a prosecutor has collected some evidence (for instance a DNA match) and has an expert testify that the probability of finding this evidence if the accused were innocent is tiny, the fallacy occurs if it is concluded that the probability of the accused being innocent must be comparably tiny.
If the DNA match is used to confirm guilt which is otherwise suspected then it is indeed strong evidence. However if the DNA evidence is the sole evidence against the accused and the accused was picked out of a large database of DNA profiles, the odds of the match being made at random may be reduced, and less damaging to the defendant.
The odds in this scenario do not relate to the odds of being guilty, they relate to the odds of being picked at random."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecutor's_fallacy
The Prosecutor’s Fallacy
http://buchanan.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/the-prosecutors-fallacy/?_r=0
Jeopardy law rapist gets life
"Coward ... rapist WB
A MAN who raped an OAP 16 years ago was jailed for life yesterday — after the double jeopardy law was overturned.
WB, 56, beat and raped a mum of one, 66, in her home in Stratford, East London, in 1997.
He was cleared in 1999 after a judge ruled DNA evidence against him could not be used against him.
Back then, a person could not be tried a second time for the same crime and builder B thought he had got away with it.
But changes to the law in 2005, to allow those cleared of a serious offence to be put on trial for the crime again, meant B could be retried for the rape.
Jurors at London’s Old Bailey were told a one-in-a-billion DNA match linked the grandfather of six, of Walthamstow, to the attack.
Coward B refused to come up from the cells to be sentenced.
Ordering he serve a minimum 10½years, Judge Peter Rook said he had committed a crime of “extreme violence and depravity”.
B beat his victim so badly she was unrecognisable. She died in 2002. Her family said: “She never got over it.”"
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4989218/Jeopardy-law-rapist-gets-life-in-prison-after-being-originally-cleared-in-1999.html
*****
Prosecutor's fallacy
"The prosecutor's fallacy is a fallacy of statistical reasoning, typically used by the prosecution to argue for the guilt of a defendant during a criminal trial. Although it is named after prosecutors it is not specific to them, and some variants of the fallacy can be utilized by defence lawyers arguing for the innocence of their client.
At its heart the fallacy involves assuming that the prior probability of a random match is equal to the probability that the defendant is innocent.
For instance, if a perpetrator is known to have the same blood type as a defendant and 10% of the population share that blood type; then to argue on that basis alone that the probability of the defendant being guilty is 90% makes the prosecutors's fallacy, in a very simple form.
The terms "prosecutor's fallacy" and "defense attorney's fallacy" were originated by William C. Thompson and Edward Schumann in the 1987 article Interpretation of Statistical Evidence in Criminal Trials, subtitled The Prosecutor's Fallacy and the Defense Attorney's Fallacy.
The fallacy can arise from multiple testing, such as when evidence is compared against a large database. The size of the database elevates the likelihood of finding a match by pure chance alone; i.e., DNA evidence is soundest when a match is found after a single directed comparison because the existence of matches against a large database where the test sample is of poor quality may be less unlikely by mere chance.
The basic fallacy results from misunderstanding conditional probability and neglecting the prior odds of a defendant being guilty before that evidence was introduced.
When a prosecutor has collected some evidence (for instance a DNA match) and has an expert testify that the probability of finding this evidence if the accused were innocent is tiny, the fallacy occurs if it is concluded that the probability of the accused being innocent must be comparably tiny.
If the DNA match is used to confirm guilt which is otherwise suspected then it is indeed strong evidence. However if the DNA evidence is the sole evidence against the accused and the accused was picked out of a large database of DNA profiles, the odds of the match being made at random may be reduced, and less damaging to the defendant.
The odds in this scenario do not relate to the odds of being guilty, they relate to the odds of being picked at random."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecutor's_fallacy
The Prosecutor’s Fallacy
http://buchanan.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/the-prosecutors-fallacy/?_r=0
Thursday, 16 May 2013
It Could Be You
POSTED: 12:37 PM MDT May 15, 2013
Sex offender vindicated 2 decades later
"A convicted sex offender has been vindicated after his now adult-children stepped forward to say he did not sexually abuse them.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/10NTa3g) Kevin Peterson finished serving 15 years in prison in 2007. Upon his release, he was required to register as a sex offender.
The allegations surfaced in 1990 while Peterson was engaged in a custody battle over his children, then 5 and 8 years old. Now an adult, his son cried as he told officials he had lied.
Peterson was cleared under a Utah law that went into effect in 2008 that allows new or changed evidence, such as DNA, to be taken into consideration.
Peterson is the fourth person cleared under this law. Two of the cases are being appealed by the state."
http://www.kjct8.com/news/sex-offender-vindicated-2-decades-later/-/163152/20160522/-/1d52r7/-/index.html
First Published May 15 2013 01:01 am • Last Updated May 15 2013 09:45 am
Utah man vindicated after serving 15 years for child sexual abuse
"Child sexual abuse » Utahn’s son and daughter recanted after he served 15 years in prison."
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55960859-78/peterson-richards-prison-served.html.csp
Man exonerated after 15 years in prison for crime he didn't commit
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865580108/Man-exonerated-after-15-years-in-prison-for-crime-he-didnt-commit.html
Sex offender vindicated 2 decades later
"A convicted sex offender has been vindicated after his now adult-children stepped forward to say he did not sexually abuse them.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/10NTa3g) Kevin Peterson finished serving 15 years in prison in 2007. Upon his release, he was required to register as a sex offender.
The allegations surfaced in 1990 while Peterson was engaged in a custody battle over his children, then 5 and 8 years old. Now an adult, his son cried as he told officials he had lied.
Peterson was cleared under a Utah law that went into effect in 2008 that allows new or changed evidence, such as DNA, to be taken into consideration.
Peterson is the fourth person cleared under this law. Two of the cases are being appealed by the state."
http://www.kjct8.com/news/sex-offender-vindicated-2-decades-later/-/163152/20160522/-/1d52r7/-/index.html
First Published May 15 2013 01:01 am • Last Updated May 15 2013 09:45 am
Utah man vindicated after serving 15 years for child sexual abuse
"Child sexual abuse » Utahn’s son and daughter recanted after he served 15 years in prison."
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55960859-78/peterson-richards-prison-served.html.csp
Man exonerated after 15 years in prison for crime he didn't commit
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865580108/Man-exonerated-after-15-years-in-prison-for-crime-he-didnt-commit.html
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Bigger Brother
Harnessing Science and Innovation for Forensic Investigation in Policing - ACPO
"Live-time forensics is a new concept, and ACPO envisage that by harnessing innovative thinking, and channelling efforts towards proactive strategies in criminal investigations, will result in safer communities, a more secure nation and enhanced public confidence in the Criminal Justice System."
https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/forensics/articles/-/blogs/harnessing-science-and-innovation-for-forensic-investigation-in-policing
Harnessing Science and Innovation for Forensic Investigation in Policing - PDF
https://connect.innovateuk.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=ac81aaeb-c6e2-4503-a891-fe68ea18c93d&groupId=8539786
Published: February 13, 2013
Big Brother is watching: The top five threats to your online privacy
"Last weekend it was reported that a multinational security firm has developed software capable of tracking people’s movements and predicting future behaviour by taking data from social networking sites.
Understandably this has raised ethical questions about internet privacy. How much data should firms be allowed to hold about Internet privacy?"
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2013/02/top-five-threats-to-online-privacy/
"Live-time forensics is a new concept, and ACPO envisage that by harnessing innovative thinking, and channelling efforts towards proactive strategies in criminal investigations, will result in safer communities, a more secure nation and enhanced public confidence in the Criminal Justice System."
https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/forensics/articles/-/blogs/harnessing-science-and-innovation-for-forensic-investigation-in-policing
Harnessing Science and Innovation for Forensic Investigation in Policing - PDF
https://connect.innovateuk.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=ac81aaeb-c6e2-4503-a891-fe68ea18c93d&groupId=8539786
Published: February 13, 2013
Big Brother is watching: The top five threats to your online privacy
"Last weekend it was reported that a multinational security firm has developed software capable of tracking people’s movements and predicting future behaviour by taking data from social networking sites.
Understandably this has raised ethical questions about internet privacy. How much data should firms be allowed to hold about Internet privacy?"
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2013/02/top-five-threats-to-online-privacy/
Thursday, 17 January 2013
That Old Nutmeg
16 Jan 2013
ACPO comment on Operation Nutmeg
"Police forces across the country are working to ensure that individuals, convicted of the most serious [sic] offences, have their DNA samples loaded and cross checked on the national DNA database.
ACPO lead on the DNA database, Amanda Cooper said
“Police forces across the country are working to ensure that individuals convicted of the most serious [sic] offences have their DNA samples loaded and cross checked on the national DNA database. A 12-month programme of work, Operation Nutmeg, commenced in September to ensure that the national DNA database comprehensively covers all individuals convicted of serious [sic] sex offences or homicide.
“The sampling specifically targets those who have served their time for those serious [sic] offences and are back in the community but have not had a DNA sample loaded onto the database since it was created in 1995."
http://www.acpo.presscentre.com/Press-Releases/ACPO-comment-on-Operation-Nutmeg-1e2.aspx
Cold case hope as police set out to collect 12,000 DNA samples
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19751089
Thousands of ex-offenders targeted in drive to add to DNA database
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/27/ex-offenders-targeted-dna-database
Operation Nutmeg
http://www.galop.org.uk/2013/operation-nutmeg/
ACPO comment on Operation Nutmeg
"Police forces across the country are working to ensure that individuals, convicted of the most serious [sic] offences, have their DNA samples loaded and cross checked on the national DNA database.
ACPO lead on the DNA database, Amanda Cooper said
“Police forces across the country are working to ensure that individuals convicted of the most serious [sic] offences have their DNA samples loaded and cross checked on the national DNA database. A 12-month programme of work, Operation Nutmeg, commenced in September to ensure that the national DNA database comprehensively covers all individuals convicted of serious [sic] sex offences or homicide.
“The sampling specifically targets those who have served their time for those serious [sic] offences and are back in the community but have not had a DNA sample loaded onto the database since it was created in 1995."
http://www.acpo.presscentre.com/Press-Releases/ACPO-comment-on-Operation-Nutmeg-1e2.aspx
Cold case hope as police set out to collect 12,000 DNA samples
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19751089
Thousands of ex-offenders targeted in drive to add to DNA database
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/27/ex-offenders-targeted-dna-database
Operation Nutmeg
http://www.galop.org.uk/2013/operation-nutmeg/
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