"Forensic Statistics:
The Bullets Match .... But Who Cares"
Forensic statistics refers to the quantitative analysis of courtroom
evidence. The presentation and discussion of DNA evidence
is one example. Recently the FBI's treatment
of a variety of other evidence types including bullet lead, hair fibers,
and fingerprints has been questioned. In particular a June 2004 report
by the
National Academy of Sciences raised serious concerns about the
analysis of bullet lead evidence to match bullets found with a suspect
to bullet fragments found at a crime scene. This talk reviews the
concerns of the National Academy panel and attempts to address
them.
Panel of local statisticians on
"What It's Like to be a Statistician":
Chris Ake, VA
Jan Callahan, Callahan Associates Inc.
Mike Choukour, Statprobe
Hal Stern, UC Irvine