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Mitch Morrissey was elected District Attorney of Denver in November 2004 and was sworn into office on January 11, 2005. He is responsible for the prosecution of more than 6,000 felony and 18,500 misdemeanor criminal cases every year. He is internationally known for his expertise in DNA technology, applying that technology in criminal prosecutions and working to ensure that DNA science is admissible in our courtrooms. As the chief prosecutor for the Second Judicial District, Morrissey is an aggressive prosecutor and an advocate of prevention and intervention initiatives. He makes victims a priority and is dedicated to providing victims a strong voice in the justice system through a number of efforts. |
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About the topic
DNA: from Crime Scene to Courtroom
Mitch will describe how DNA evidence found at crime scenes is used to solve cases, prosecute criminals and exonerate innocent people in the criminal justice system. The scientific techniques involved in forensic DNA analysis will be explained, as will the National DNA Database (CODIS). The presentation will discuss Denver's award-winning Cold Case DNA Program and DNA Burglary Project: both demonstrate real-world applications of current scientific techniques. Among the provocative topics we can discuss will be familial DNA database searches and partial DNA match investigations. Included in these topics is an explanation of how investigators use the DNA database to search for near matches to solve crimes committed by relatives of people in the database. Privacy issues have been raised about using the DNA database for familial searches and partial match investigations, these issues will be explored during the evening.
Recommended resources
A good detailed article about Mitch Morrissey was published in 5280 Magazine in 2006. You can read it here. The Denver DA's office has its own DNA page which you can scan by clicking here. The Human Genome Project describes the DNA identification techniques used in forensics in an accessible way on this site. Test yourself! Can you rule in or out this suspect in a rape case by the DNA evidence? Have you always wanted to be a CSI when you grow up? Here is a terrific source of authoritative information. Thanks for the tip to Tonya Perez.
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