Forensics is more than just DNA, speaker says
Crystal Frank
Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: News
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Forensic science, pharmaceutical companies and mission-oriented science were among the topics of Albert "Buzz" Scherr who spoke on"The Business of Genetics" Nov. 8 in Ralston Hall.
Scherr is a professor of law at Franklin Law Center in Concord, N.H., and is a nationally renowned expert on forensic DNA evidence.
He gave an example of how forensic DNA is not always relevant in homicide or sexual assaults cases.
While researching, he came across a case in which an innocent man was sent to jail for seven years for sexually assaulting a women. Three years later the man who actually did the crime confessed and pled guilty.
Scherr made it clear in his lecture that DNA is not always relevant evidence because of the mistakes forensic labs make or actual confessions during trials.
He also touched on small topics relating to the genetic engineering and eugenics, patents of DNA work, pharmaceutical companies, and health care.
Scherr has worked with forensic DNA evidence for over 20 years in which he has handled over 40 homicide cases. He has also served as a lead attorney in numerous of cases dealing with robbery, and sexual assaults.
He has co-designed and taught a national model, NIH-funded Summer Faculty Institute at Dartmouth, which educates undergraduate faculty from all over the world in the ethical, legal, and social issues of the Human Genome Project.
Scherr is a professor of law at Franklin Law Center in Concord, N.H., and is a nationally renowned expert on forensic DNA evidence.
He gave an example of how forensic DNA is not always relevant in homicide or sexual assaults cases.
While researching, he came across a case in which an innocent man was sent to jail for seven years for sexually assaulting a women. Three years later the man who actually did the crime confessed and pled guilty.
Scherr made it clear in his lecture that DNA is not always relevant evidence because of the mistakes forensic labs make or actual confessions during trials.
He also touched on small topics relating to the genetic engineering and eugenics, patents of DNA work, pharmaceutical companies, and health care.
Scherr has worked with forensic DNA evidence for over 20 years in which he has handled over 40 homicide cases. He has also served as a lead attorney in numerous of cases dealing with robbery, and sexual assaults.
He has co-designed and taught a national model, NIH-funded Summer Faculty Institute at Dartmouth, which educates undergraduate faculty from all over the world in the ethical, legal, and social issues of the Human Genome Project.