And the helix may set you free

The first application of DNA forensics evidence was carried out by Dr. Alec Jefferies in 1983, in a British court case that sought to identify the relationship between an emigrant and her son. Since then, genotyping technology (also known as DNA fingerprinting and genetic profiling) has been developed and applied to identifying individuals for a wide variety of purposes including exonerating convicts. Faulty forensic evidence is a common cause of wrongful convictions. And once convicted, access to the forensic evidence remains a clear barrier to possible exoneration. In fact, it is DNA exoneration that is driving state legislators to address some of the apparent legislative flaws that govern forensic evidence testing in the U.S.