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58 UCLA L. Rev. 781 (2010-2011)
Commentary on the Need for a Research Culture in the Forensic Sciences

handle is hein.journals/uclalr58 and id is 787 raw text is: COMMENTARY ON THE NEED FOR A RESEARCH CULTURE IN THE FORENSIC SCIENCES Joseph P. Bono A number of articles written over the past two years have addressed the need to strengthen forensic science, not only in the United States but internationally. Most have focused on the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) February 2009 report entitled Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward. In looking for solutions to problems we all know existed pre-2009, most point fingers instead of looking inward. Finally, after hundreds of pages of we know how to solve this problem monologues, a learned treatise appears that goes beyond the NAS Report in addressing the need to strengthen forensic science. The Need for a Research Culture in the Forensic Sciences by Jennifer Mnookin et al. is one of the first publications to minimize the blame game that has become so pervasive in evaluating forensic science. This article successfully provides a root cause assessment of the salient issues we face today and contains solutions that those who care about forensic science should consider. IN TRO DU CTlO N ...........................................................................................................................782 I. SCANDALS INVOLVING CRIME LABORATORIES...............................................................782 A . The Brandon M ayfield C ase.....................................................................................783 II. T HE ERROR R ATE ......................................................................................................... 784 Ill. LIMITATIONS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE REPORT WRITING ..................................................785 IV . R ESEA RC H ...........................................................................................................................786 C O NC LU SIO N ..............................................................................................................................787 * Adjunct Instructor, Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; President, American Academy of Forensic Sciences. I would like to express sincere appreciation to the UCLA Law Review, and especially to Jennifer Mnookin, for the opportunity to present a perspective from another source on how we can strengthen forensic science by working together. 781

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