During the past two decades, advances in technology have given police and prosecuting lawyers powerful new weapons in solving and prosecuting crimes. The most useful of these techniques is DNA testing.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is an intricate molecule found in all living cells. Because every person has unique DNA (except identical twins), investigators can use DNA testing to compare evidence from the crime scene to the suspect’s blood sample, or to DNA databases of known criminals to find a suspect.

DNA testing has evolved over time as the need for speedy results became more important. The breakthrough came with the development of the short tandem repeat (STR) DNA testing. The FBI selected thirteen STR regions to be used as the standard for DNA testing, and if all thirteen loci match, then according to the Department of Justice, the chance of a random match between two unrelated people in the U.S. is about one in 575 trillion.

As DNA testing becomes more widely available, it is being used to reexamine old cases by law firms and lawyers. DNA testing takes time and money, however, and some people—especially crime victims and their families—believe that efforts should be focused instead on DNA testing for unsolved crimes as well as getting as many DNA profiles of criminals entered onto databases as possible.

DNA testing is not only important to police investigators, it is also crucial that law firms and lawyers be up on the latest technology so that they know how to defend their clients. Lawyers are often tasked with appealing old cases, and DNA testing can be crucial in proving innocence as well as guilt. A law firm or lawyer who specializes in defending against cases where DNA testing is involved are you best bet for avoiding prosecution.