title: Is it to the advantage of a defendant to infer a greater number of contributors to a questioned sample than is necessary to explain the observed DNA profile?
abstract: When a forensic scientist presents the results of a comparison between a DNA profile from a questioned sample with that of a defendant the interpretation will be based on the premise of a given number of contributors. It is quite common practice for defence counsel to ask how consideration of a greater number of putative contributors to the profile would affect the interpretation. This note discusses the response to such a request.
authors.affiliation: Principal Forensic Services Ltd, Melbury House, 34 Southborough Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 2EB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: ianevett@btinternet.com.
authors.forename: Ian W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Evett
authors.affiliation: Principal Forensic Services Ltd, Melbury House, 34 Southborough Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 2EB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pope
keywords: DNA; Interpretation; Mixtures; Probability; Statistics