By Beth Schwartzapfel
Two hundred and sixty-six people have been exonerated by DNA in the United States after spending years—sometimes decades—in prison for crimes they did not commit. More than half of these people were convicted on the basis of bad forensic evidence.
In some cases, the forensic methods themselves had few or no professional guidelines or objective criteria. In other cases, analysts used scientifically valid tests but fudged or misstated the science in their testimony. Here’s a list of some common areas for mistakes or malice – and men who have suffered as a result.
