The Dawning of a New Era in DNA Profiling

Probabilistic genotyping (PG) is a new computer technology for interpreting complicated DNA profiles. It represents a paradigm shift in the way DNA profiles are interpreted and reported. Attorneys who have specialized in DNA cases by grappling with both molecular biology and statistics will now have to learn to talk about computer science, or at least ask questions about it. They must ask how PG was used in a defendant’s case, and they must make sure that the hypotheses and assumptions run through the PG program were appropriate.