CSAFE principal investigator and University of Virginia School of Law professor Brandon Garrett’s research was recently featured in a UVA news publication. He and Professor Greg Mitchell have co-authored a series of new papers discussing how jurors, judges, and policymakers think about forensics.
“We have a concern that judges and policymakers are focused on the wrong questions,” Garrett said. “They’re focused on: How do you explain the ultimate conclusion the forensic analyst reaches? We think they need to focus more on error rates and proficiency.”
Garrett’s work at CSAFE concentrates on incorporating statistical models into new methods of conveying forensic science information to jurors, lawyers, and judges. As the field moves towards quantitative conclusions, Garrett focuses on ways to communicate results in accurate and comprehensible ways.
Garrett has also developed two courses for UVA Law in an effort to educate future lawyers, practicing lawyers, judges, and the forensic community concerning the connections between forensics research and the law. Read the full UVA article here, and visit the CSAFE website research page to learn more about the work our team is doing. To review information about CSAFE researchers, staff, and collaborators, visit the “Our Team” page.
