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Release Date: October 4, 2002

Computer Security Methods to Manifest Admissibility of Scientific Evidence

Data Unlimited International, Inc. (DUII), Maryland, USA –October 4, 2002– The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) selected Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) for presentation titled 'Computer Security Methods to Manifest Admissibility of Scientific Evidence.'  BPD has used Starfruit CrimeLab™ Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) since 2000. BPD presented its Starfruit security network topology on Friday October 4, 2002 at the National Conference on Science and the Law, in Miami, Florida.  The National Conference on Science and the Law is an annual conference sponsored by the Office of Science and Technology of the NIJ, the research arm of the US Department of Justice (DOJ).  The conference focuses on admitting scientific evidence into the court system, improving communication and understanding among scientists, attorneys, and judges.

BPD's presentation covered the background where a scientific evidence presentation in court includes the physical evidence, its chain of custody, the analysis with its underlying scientific principles, the laboratory test results and laboratory report. The reporting of physical evidence collection, packaging, submission, chain of custody, and storage supports the fact of physical evidence. The analysis with its underlying scientific principles are directed by the Laboratories Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical manuals to generate laboratory test results which become codified in the final laboratory report. Court admissibility of scientific evidence depends on its general acceptance in the forensic community and its scientific soundness. To prove the integrity, reliability, and traceability of scientific evidence, signatures and certifications are required by accreditation programs. Paper-based crime laboratories have handwritten or typed worksheets, forms, reports, and chain of custody to document scientific evidence with inked signatures. With the aid of computerization, electronic documents can be printed and signed by hand. The problem was that the paper-based or semi-computer automated operation has limited accessibility to the actual documents, since the original paper must be stored in a centralized location. Additionally paper information does not allow complex or partial key index searches, automated sorting, inquiry and reports with electronic speed and precision. Paper-based operation is incapable of categorizing the information of scientific evidence to standard formats. Errors in paper reporting can only be discovered through time-consuming manual review. Possible oversights or inaccuracies are such as incomplete chain of custody, wrong tests, wrong schedule or proper procedures not performed, and wrong conclusions. Additional human errors are introduced by repetitive clerical-paper filing of the details of a scientist’s work that is needed for laboratory accreditation, expert witness qualification and scientist re-certification. These problems prevent judges from admitting scientific evidence. The resolution was to resolve problems, crime laboratories are moving to store the vast amount of scientific evidence in computers as electronic casework data, which can be monitored, tracked, validated and quality assured when collected and afterwards can be searched, sorted, reviewed and disseminated. The dilemma is how to sign electronic casework and how to authenticate and identify the laboratory scientists that authorize the data. The gap between paper and electronic scientific evidence is the electronic signature or unique identification. While laboratory scientists can ink signature on paper, methods to sign electronic records or documents are critical to eliminate the paper document and to control access to scientific evidence. This security method must bind between laboratory scientist identity and the electronic records. Bindings prove that unique identities or scientists process or authorize scientific evidence. With efficient security and accurate binding, complete scientific evidence can be collected, validated, reviewed, stored, and disseminated electronically. Quality-assured and security-controlled electronic scientific evidence provides precise methods to scrutinize for court admissibility.

To prove the integrity, reliability, and validity of scientific evidence in court, identification of the analyst by signature and state certification number are required on Drug Analysis Reports in Maryland. In the paper environment, administrative and technical reviews of paper reports and supporting documentation are a tedious time consuming manual process. Additionally, human error often results in the loss or misfiling of critical reports due to repetitive filing and refilling of these paper reports. These problems often prevent State’s Attorneys from introducing and judges from admitting scientific evidence.

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This web page was updated on October 4, 2002.