What Is Chain of Custody In DNA Testing?

Advances that have been made in, and continue in the field of DNA testing, have changed countless lives over the years.

Today, a simple DNA test can help unite a child with their father, trace ancestral roots or even find the culprit or clear a suspect of a serious crime. One aspect of a DNA test that not a lot of people are familiar with is called “chain of custody’.

Chain of custody isn’t an issue in every single DNA test, but when it is required, it’s a crucial part of the process.

What Is Chain of Custody?

Basically, the chain of custody is a documentation process that is accepted by courts and government agencies. The chain of custody confirms that:

• The samples have been collected by a neutral third party• The people who are tested have been positively identified through government-issued ID, photo and fingerprints.• The samples are tracked through the course of the testing process.

Chain of Custody cont…

With chain of custody DNA tests, every person tested must fill out an identification and consent form. When a minor is involved, the legal guardian must sign the consent form.

The chain of custody makes the results of the DNA test legally defensible, and holds a great deal of importance.

Importance of Chain of Custody

In a chain of custody case, the samples are collected and then delivered to an accredited laboratory by the same person, along with all of the identification papers. This step is important to ensure no tampering takes place with the samples.

The samples are logged through every step of the process, which guarantees the accuracy of the testing. After that, they can be notarized as admissible evidence in any paternity or criminal case.

Do I Need Chain of Custody?

If you are in a situation where you must have a DNA test, and you feel like you may need those results to be admissible in court, chain of custody is probably the way to go.

If you decide that you want a chain of custody test, ask the testing company when you first make contact with them and they’ll give you the necessary instructions.

For Paternity

Testing for paternity is one of the situations where chain of custody is used. In some cases, all parties involved just want to find out for informational purposes, but sometimes the courts are part of the equation.

If a mother wants the alleged father to start paying child support, chain of custody will help make that happen. For any paternity case where the results might be challenged for any reason, chain of custody is the way to go.

For Crime Scenes

Crime scenes are another area where chain of custody is crucial for a DNA test. Biological evidence, which typically includes DNA, is one of the forms of physical evidence that is often left at a crime scene.

It only takes a few cells in order to test for DNA, so many different items can be used. The chain of custody for a crime scene is a record of every person that has had possession of the evidence since its collection. This helps maintain the integrity of the evidence, and point the finger if it is tampered with.

References

ForceADN offre une variété de test de paternité. Leurs centres sont des plus réputés au Québec. Visitez leur site pour plus d’information.