DNA Crimes

Everyone is aware that our blood contains our DNA but our DNA is not only in our blood, but everywhere in and on our bodies. We are made up of trillions of cells and each of those cells contains the full sequence of our unique DNA. Our DNA resides on our skin, in our saliva, our hair, our nails, and in all bodily secretions. Basically, we leave a trail of our DNA wherever we go. Orange County DNA crime lawyer William Weinberg considers DNA evidence one of the most important tools when exploring defense options for his clients.

DNA evidence may be part of the prosecution’s evidence which is provided to the criminal defense attorney who represents the defendant. DNA crime defense attorney William Weinberg has defended many criminal cases where the DNA evidence was collected and associated with his client. He has witnessed the evolution of DNA evidence from its early days, when he was an Orange County public defender, until now, as an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Since the mid-1980’s, when DNA profiling was developed, DNA analysis has become an increasingly important investigative tool used by the police to identify suspects. It is now one of the most important tools in the criminal justice system. Each human being has a unique set of chromosomes. This DNA signature creates a “genetic fingerprint” that technologically is far more advanced that the traditional fingerprint evidence. Criminal DNA analysis can both convict and exonerate a person charged with a crime.r analysis of the blood evidence. Today, that might not be the case.

Before the use of DNA evidence, if the police could not link a suspect by hair, fingerprint, or sometimes bitemark or other evidence to a crime, the suspect often went free. With the advent of DNA evidence, a greater number of crimes are being solved. Now the police are able to apply scientific DNA profiling to the evidence they collect at a crime scene. The evidence may include blood, hair, saliva, or other human tissues, all of which have markers, called alleles, which are unique for every individual. Since each human being has a unique set of chromosomes, this DNA signature creates a “genetic fingerprint” that technologically is far more advanced than traditional fingerprint evidence.

Back in its infancy, DNA crime profiling was fraught with error and inconsistencies. You may remember in the OJ Simpson trial of the late 1990’s when the defense pointed out the many mistakes made by the LA County Sheriff’s crime lab in their DNA analysis of the blood evidence. Rather than help the prosecution, the DNA evidence helped the defense because it put a question mark on the competency of the crime lab.

Today, DNA analysis is much improved and, scientifically speaking, not often subject to dispute. However, Orange County DNA crime defense attorney William Weinberg has handled many cases involving DNA evidence where that evidence is subject to attack despite the science behind DNA analysis. For example, Attorney Weinberg looks for DNA mixtures (more than one person’s DNA) in the evidence. DNA. Mixture cases often lead to the prosecution not being able to identify one suspect. Another point of attack may be evidence that the samples were contaminated at the crime labs by improper storage and handling. Sometimes a defendant’s DNA will be at the crime scene because the defendant was at that location for an entirely innocent reason.

Although DNA crime analysis has certainly improved law enforcement’s identification of suspects, DNA evidence is not a “slam-dunk.” Orange County law enforcement utilizes sophisticated DNA analysis techniques but there have been known instances of improprieties and contamination at the labs in the county. Attorney William Weinberg carefully reviews all DNA evidence alleged against his clients for potential points of weakness in the evidence or defenses to the alleged DNA evidence.

If you have any questions, please call Orange County DNA defense attorney William Weinberg at his Irvine office at (949) 474-8008 or by emailing him at bill@williamweinberg.com.