Many expungement cases revolve around DNA evidence that has come to light after the conviction. A person who has been incarcerated may have their conviction overturned and their record expunged when it becomes clear that it was a false conviction to begin with. For instance, many false convictions happen due to eyewitness identification, which DNA evidence can later disprove.
But how accurate is that DNA evidence? If it is such a critical part of this process, can it really determine exactly who was or was not involved in a criminal event?
Most DNA is shared
Interestingly, two people will share an average of 99.9% of their DNA. They do not have to be related in any way. Just by virtue of being human, each cell will contain mostly the same DNA and only 0.1% that is unique.
However, this 0.1% is still enough to get a very accurate measurement of who was involved. After all, there are 3 billion base pairs of DNA in each human cell. That means that even just 0.1% of those cells may be unique, but that is still 3 million base pairs that are unique to a specific individual.
As such, courts consider DNA evidence to be incredibly accurate and trustworthy. As long as DNA tests are carried out properly, in a lab and with trained technicians, the results of those tests can be used to overturn convictions and help to expunge records.
Your legal options
DNA evidence is trustworthy and is one of the most important tools for someone who wants to clear their name and have their record expunged. Those who are going through this process need to know about all of the legal options they have, and it can help to work with an experienced law firm.