Court admissible DNA is the result that you can present in court as a form of evidence. Juries and lawyers consider DNA to be a reliable source of evidence. Under certain circumstances, this type of evidence can be undeniable and an integral part of a case. Court admissible DNA should meet  certain legal standards and procedures, as the court will not accept a test if it doesn’t fulfill specific legal requirements. Matters like parental dispute, child custody, and immigration often require court admissible DNA tests. You may also need court admissible DNA in more extreme matters like violent crimes.

What is DNA?

DNA is a molecule that makes up the chromosome cells in our body. You can consider it as a building block for all living beings. It consists of nucleotides that bind together to form a genetic code, which is an essential part of who you who you are. What’s more, the DNA’s binding makes a double helix, ladder like structure. The genetic codes follow a similar pattern, which helps scientists  identify certain characteristics, traits, physical appearance, and medical conditions of a person. Furthermore, DNA molecules bind with each other in the form of a strand.

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DNA Evidence

DNA evidence can be immensely helpful in court. In order to test DNA, you need a sample, which can be obtained quite easily  . A sample can come from any part of the body. When it comes to crimes, even a criminal’s fingerprints can leave genetic information for forensic specialists to decode. In other cases that involve child custody or immigration, you can collect reliable samples. A doctor normally extracts cheek cells from a swab for accurate results.

The Development of Forensic DNA Evidence

The use of DNA in profiling individuals did not exist until the mid 1980’s. An English Scientist, Alec Jeffrey discovered that certain areas in the DNA molecule strand contain patterns that seem to repeat quite often. These repetitions are distinctive to each individual, except for identical twins who share the exact same DNA. Dr Jeffrey was then able to discover a test that measures the variations of these repeated patterns in order to identify individuals. This was the first technique that compared samples of the DNA in order to profile individuals. People knew it as Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism. (RFLP)

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This method is very accurate and reliable, but it requires a large amount of DNA samples. People now use Polymerase Chain Reaction method. (PCR), as it allows them requires a very small amount of DNA.

Admissibility in Court

Many circumstances can affect the admissibility of DNA evidence in court. The courts demands immense accuracy when it comes to DNA methods. They can also ask for more than one method to ensure the DNA evidence is accurate. In some cases, judges may demand a scientific approach in order to mitigate the varying degrees of results. Mistakes like contamination, errors in the chain of custody, transport and storage can ultimately hamper the integrity of the DNA results. It could lead to the court dismissing DNA evidence because of its vagueness.

How to Reduce Risks

Maintaining admissibility of DNA evidence includes the following steps.

Avoid Contamination

It’s very important to not tamper with the DNA evidence. Consider keeping it in a safe and secure place so it has no contact with any external sources that could contaminate it. This will make sure it comes in handy during trials. .

Chain of Custody

Documentation of the DNA evidence is very important. The lesser the people handle the evidence the better. A long chain of custody handling DNA evidence could lead to intentional or unintentional tampering. Therefore, it would be best to ensure that only a select few people are responsible for handling the evidence.

What Makes a Paternity Test Court Admissible

Many factors can make a paternity test court admissible. For example in cases of child custody, if the child gets really sick. Their treatment can require paternal DNA tests in order to find out the ethnic heritance of the parents, since this information can be crucial for treatment.

Other cases may include immigration processes where a person needs to travel and their parents already reside in the desired country. The court may require you to provide a DNA test if you wish to travel on an invitation. It will prove whether there is a  biological relationship between you and the other party. The immigration office accepts DNA tests form labs accredited by the AABB.

To Conclude: Get A Court Admissible DNA Test From AB DNA Testing

The admissibility of DNA depends on whether you got the test done by an AABB accredited lab. If you are looking to get a 100% authentic DNA test that promises 99.9% accuracy, contact us at 718-701-0292, or visit our website at AB DNA testing lab.