People all over the United States are being convicted of crimes they did not commit every day. One of these cases was a man named Derrick Williams. He wrongfully convicted of Kidnapping, Sexual Battery, Robbery, Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Battery.
A white adult female pulled up to her house at 5:30 at night. She saw a black man standing on her porch with a white rage in his hand. She proceeded to get out of the car but as she did the man pushed her back into the car, put her in a headlock and punched her in the face. He drove her to an orange grove and sexually assaulted her in the back of her car. The assailant stepped out of the car to smoke a cigarette and the woman escape and drove away in her car. She drove away with his white cloth and his t-shirt.
Law enforcement collected numerous pieces of physical evidence and even though there was the possibility of conducting DNA tests they were not conducted. The victim described the attacker as being between 5’6” and 5’8” and Derrick is 5’11”. Also the victim described her attacker as having a scare on his “gut” and Derrick had a scare but it was on his back.
Derrick was at a barbeque that night and he left 55 minutes after the crime had been committed. However the women said that he was her rapist so they brought derrick to trail and he was convicted and sentenced to prison.
In order to correctly compare DNA figure prints we had to learn how to correctly run an electrophoreses lab. We had to understand how to compare the results that we found and know how the lab worked. We had to know the different types of DNA to know what to us for DNA finger-printing.
In 1865 Gregor Mendel used peas to discover the laws of segregation, Independent assortment, Dominance.
In 1915 TH Morgan discovered that there are 4 parts to chromosomes. He also figured out the genes are inherited in families.
1941 Beadle and Tatum created the one gene, one enzyme hypothesis. This hypothesis stated the impact that enzymes can have in genetic mutation.
In 1947 Erwin Chargoff discovered the pairings of A, T and C, G is the same for all species.
In 1953 Watson and Crick created the description of 3-d structure of DNA.
1958 Meselson and Stahl found discovered that you could replicate DNA in a lab form parent DNA.
1977 Walter Gilbert and Allen Maxam devise a method for sequencing DNA.
1980 US Supreme Court rules that life forms can be patented.
Kary Mullis develops PCR and sells patent for $300M in 1991.
1982 The USFDA approves sale of genetically engineered human insulin.
1983 An automated DNA sequencer is developed.
1984 Alec Jeffreys introduces technique for DNA fingerprinting to identify individuals.
1989 National Center for Human Genome Research created to map and sequence all human DNA by 2005.
1995 The first full gene sequence of a living organism is completed for Hemophilus influenza.
O.J. Simpson is found not guilty despite DNA evidence.
1996 Genome of Sacharomyces cerevisiae is sequenced.
1997 Dolly cloned from the cell of an adult ewe.
DNA microarray technology developed.
1998 The first animal genome (C. elegans) is sequenced.
1999 1,274 biotechnology companies in the United States.
At least 300 biotechnology drug products and vaccines currently in human clinical trials.
Human Genome Project is on time and under budget, the complete human genome map expected in five years or less.
This story has changed my perspective on the ligitimasy of our justice system. This story showed me that even though the courts had the opertunity to conduct DNA tests they chose to rely on an eye witness account which inevitable ended with an innocent man going to prison. This demonstriantes the excessive use of eyewitness accounts when science could simply prove the answer. This unit showed me the power that science holds. When I was younger I liked science but I didn’t know how it could be used and this unit showed me that science can but used to protect people and free people.
