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Ambra ASTOLFI Case Study Answers

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(743 words) Witness examination for DNA expert witness (Ambra ASTOLFI) / Case Study 6  You are Ambra ASTOLFI employed as a forensic scientist at Queensland Health Pathology and Scientific Services. Correct? Leading questions are common technique to cross-examine witness.  You are called to give instruction and share your experience regarding to the DNA profile you have written and signed on 28 April 2016. It includes your opinion for the examination results of the items from the case study 6. This examination is purported to test the accuracy of your opinion and to provide relevant facts of the result for the trial. Do you understand that? Expert opinion in the court is required when the juries need assistance of an expert with special …show more content…

 How long are you experienced in DNA profiling, and how often do you perform such DNA analysing experiment? These questions are suggested to determine whether the expert’s opinion is admissible as the expert evidence is based on established field of expertise. By asking if the expert has received special academic experience and had relevant time of experience or observation in DNA analysis which is relevant to the case, the court will consider if the expert opinion is sufficient to gain general acceptance in the DNA profiling area and if it is admissible to take the expert’s opinion regarding to the case. Also, the expert must be qualified in the certain field of expertise to give evidence. As the qualification can be derived from relevant experience and observation, it is required to ask whether the expert has frequent relevant experience or observation in the DNA analysis in related to criminal cases. If the expert opinion is based on any factual platform such as testamentary capacity, unpersuasive report based on lies or absence of evidence relating to the samples collected, the evidence would be rejected to be taken to the court and the conviction could be …show more content…

About the exclusion ratio of 5%, how much extent could you be sure that the blood came from the victim?  The DNA result regarding the blood found on the floor passenger compartment does not provide any statistical analysis. In other words, you do not have any scientific reason to indicate the blood belongs to the victim. Correct? The evidence is adverse to the accused, and it could possibly lead to an unfairly prejudicial conclusion against the accused by misleading or confusing the juries. Also, as there is no statistical analysis to prove that the blood on the floor belongs to the victim, the evidence should not be used against the accused to convict him in this case. In addition, the victim’s blood found in the accused’s car would not be ideal to be used to directly prove his guilt in the death, because there is reasonable doubt that the blood left on the car was left from the argument at the station or other possible

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