The Human Factors of DNA Interpretation

Join me talking with Michelle Madrid, a crime scene investigator for the Los Angeles County Sherriff Department with a specialty in DNA evidence. Michelle talks about her 19+ years career and how the Department is changing the environment and stigma to support vicarious trauma. We also discuss how she is not a witness for either side and how bias does and does not play a part in her findings. She describes why testifying is the most important part of the job because as she says – “I can do everything right but if I can’t articulate my findings to a jury it doesn't matter.” She is also one of the authors of the Forensic DNA Interpretation and Human Factors: Improving Practice Through a Systems Approach report which is used as the standard for DNA interpretation.