Dealing
with mysterious criminal cases requires forensic
science
to obtain fact-based evidence. All evidence has to be carefully
examined by a forensic toxicologist, a professional who has vast
knowledge of chemicals and their effects on physical matter. A
forensic toxicologist in this scenario becomes an expert witness and
his opinion can serve either the defense or the prosecution.
Criminal lawyers need the
services of forensic toxicologists in procuring scientific evidence
of their clients’ claims. They cannot simply perform their own
scientific research and present their findings in court as evidence.
However,
producing evidence through forensic science is not that simple. Lack
of sufficient experience in handling different types of cases may
yield fallible findings and lead to wrongful convictions (or
acquittals). The hired forensic toxicologist who will examine the
evidence must have extensive knowledge and experience in handling
urine, blood, and oral samples. Inexperienced toxicologists may not
be comfortable handling such samples and their health might be at
risk.
Forensic
toxicology must support the truth, not cover it up. Basic ethics in
this field state that all forensic toxicologists must present
opinions based on correctly performed tests and thoroughly
interpreted data. Furthermore, their statements should be easy to
understand by a non-scientific listener to prevent misconceptions or
misinterpretations.
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