Quiz: Field Autopsy — Criminal Justice

Q: The 2009 NAS report on forensic science found: (a) All forensic techniques are scientifically reliable (b) Several commonly used forensic techniques — including bite mark analysis — have "no evidence of an existing scientific basis for identifying an individual to the exclusion of all others" (c) Forensic science needs only minor reforms (d) DNA evidence is unreliable

(b) The NAS report was devastating in its assessment of multiple forensic disciplines, finding that many lacked scientific validation.

Q: The FBI acknowledged in 2015 that its hair microscopy analysts provided flawed testimony in approximately what percentage of reviewed cases? (a) 5% (b) 25% (c) 50% (d) 95%

(d) 95% — over 2,500 cases, including 32 death sentences. The analysts routinely overstated the significance of microscopic hair comparisons.

Q: What is the leading contributing factor to wrongful convictions, according to DNA exoneration data? (a) Corrupt prosecutors (b) Eyewitness misidentification (~69% of cases) (c) False confessions (d) Flawed forensic science alone

(b) Eyewitness misidentification contributes to approximately 69% of DNA exonerations — despite decades of research demonstrating its unreliability.

Q: Legal precedent (stare decisis) functions in the criminal justice system as: (a) A guarantee of consistent justice (b) An error-preservation mechanism — courts cite prior admissions of forensic evidence as authority for continued admission, regardless of scientific validity (c) A reform accelerator (d) A neutral procedural rule

(b) Stare decisis creates a self-reinforcing authority cascade: the fact that evidence was admitted before becomes the justification for admitting it again, independent of the underlying science.

Q: "Prosecutorial tunnel vision" refers to: (a) Prosecutors deliberately hiding evidence (b) Structural confirmation bias — once a suspect is identified, the investigation focuses on confirming guilt rather than testing alternative hypotheses (c) Prosecutors having too many cases (d) Narrow career paths for prosecutors

(b) Tunnel vision is structural, not intentional. The system is designed to build cases against identified suspects, which systematically amplifies evidence of guilt and de-emphasizes evidence of innocence.

Q: Approximately what percentage of DNA exonerees are Black? (a) 13% (proportional to population) (b) 30% (c) 58% (d) 80%

(c) 58% — dramatically disproportionate. The racial disparity reflects how the system's structural failure modes (eyewitness misidentification across racial lines, prosecutorial tunnel vision amplified by racial stereotypes) disproportionately affect Black defendants.

Q: Why does the Correction Speed Model predict extremely slow correction for criminal justice? (a) Because the evidence against forensic techniques is weak (b) Because every variable pulls toward slow: very high switching cost (precedent), very high defender power (prosecutors/judges), very low outsider access, very low crisis probability (c) Because no one cares about wrongful convictions (d) Because criminal justice is not a knowledge-producing field

(b) The model's most pessimistic profile. Even high evidence clarity (DNA exonerations are unambiguous) cannot overcome the combination of structural barriers.

Q: False confessions contribute to approximately what percentage of DNA exonerations? (a) 5% (b) 15% (c) 29% (d) 50%

(c) 29%. Lengthy interrogation, psychological coercion, and vulnerability factors (youth, intellectual disability) produce confessions from factually innocent people.

Q: The chapter describes criminal justice as having: (a) The best correction mechanisms of any field (b) The lowest evidence quality, least error detection, weakest correction mechanisms, and highest structural barriers of any field examined (c) Problems similar to medicine's (d) A temporary crisis that will resolve itself

(b) Criminal justice occupies the worst position on every dimension in the cross-field comparison table. Its errors are also arguably the most severe — imprisonment and execution of innocent people.

Q: The NAS (2009) recommended creating a National Institute of Forensic Science independent of law enforcement. What happened? (a) It was created and is functioning well (b) The recommendation was not implemented (c) It was created but defunded (d) Law enforcement created its own version

(b) Not implemented. The most consequential recommendation of the most authoritative report on forensic science was simply not acted upon — illustrating the structural barriers to correction.

Quiz: Field Autopsy — Criminal Justice

Q1. The 2009 NAS report on forensic science found:

(a) All forensic techniques are scientifically reliable (b) Several commonly used forensic techniques — including bite mark analysis — have "no evidence of an existing scientific basis for identifying an individual to the exclusion of all others" (c) Forensic science needs only minor reforms (d) DNA evidence is unreliable

Answer

**(b)** The NAS report was devastating in its assessment of multiple forensic disciplines, finding that many lacked scientific validation.

Q2. The FBI acknowledged in 2015 that its hair microscopy analysts provided flawed testimony in approximately what percentage of reviewed cases?

(a) 5% (b) 25% (c) 50% (d) 95%

Answer

**(d)** 95% — over 2,500 cases, including 32 death sentences. The analysts routinely overstated the significance of microscopic hair comparisons.

Q3. What is the leading contributing factor to wrongful convictions, according to DNA exoneration data?

(a) Corrupt prosecutors (b) Eyewitness misidentification (~69% of cases) (c) False confessions (d) Flawed forensic science alone

Answer

**(b)** Eyewitness misidentification contributes to approximately 69% of DNA exonerations — despite decades of research demonstrating its unreliability.

Q4. Legal precedent (stare decisis) functions in the criminal justice system as:

(a) A guarantee of consistent justice (b) An error-preservation mechanism — courts cite prior admissions of forensic evidence as authority for continued admission, regardless of scientific validity (c) A reform accelerator (d) A neutral procedural rule

Answer

**(b)** Stare decisis creates a self-reinforcing authority cascade: the fact that evidence was admitted before becomes the justification for admitting it again, independent of the underlying science.

Q5. "Prosecutorial tunnel vision" refers to:

(a) Prosecutors deliberately hiding evidence (b) Structural confirmation bias — once a suspect is identified, the investigation focuses on confirming guilt rather than testing alternative hypotheses (c) Prosecutors having too many cases (d) Narrow career paths for prosecutors

Answer

**(b)** Tunnel vision is structural, not intentional. The system is designed to build cases against identified suspects, which systematically amplifies evidence of guilt and de-emphasizes evidence of innocence.

Q6. Approximately what percentage of DNA exonerees are Black?

(a) 13% (proportional to population) (b) 30% (c) 58% (d) 80%

Answer

**(c)** 58% — dramatically disproportionate. The racial disparity reflects how the system's structural failure modes (eyewitness misidentification across racial lines, prosecutorial tunnel vision amplified by racial stereotypes) disproportionately affect Black defendants.

Q7. Why does the Correction Speed Model predict extremely slow correction for criminal justice?

(a) Because the evidence against forensic techniques is weak (b) Because every variable pulls toward slow: very high switching cost (precedent), very high defender power (prosecutors/judges), very low outsider access, very low crisis probability (c) Because no one cares about wrongful convictions (d) Because criminal justice is not a knowledge-producing field

Answer

**(b)** The model's most pessimistic profile. Even high evidence clarity (DNA exonerations are unambiguous) cannot overcome the combination of structural barriers.

Q8. False confessions contribute to approximately what percentage of DNA exonerations?

(a) 5% (b) 15% (c) 29% (d) 50%

Answer

**(c)** 29%. Lengthy interrogation, psychological coercion, and vulnerability factors (youth, intellectual disability) produce confessions from factually innocent people.

Q9. The chapter describes criminal justice as having:

(a) The best correction mechanisms of any field (b) The lowest evidence quality, least error detection, weakest correction mechanisms, and highest structural barriers of any field examined (c) Problems similar to medicine's (d) A temporary crisis that will resolve itself

Answer

**(b)** Criminal justice occupies the worst position on every dimension in the cross-field comparison table. Its errors are also arguably the most severe — imprisonment and execution of innocent people.

Q10. The NAS (2009) recommended creating a National Institute of Forensic Science independent of law enforcement. What happened?

(a) It was created and is functioning well (b) The recommendation was not implemented (c) It was created but defunded (d) Law enforcement created its own version

Answer

**(b)** Not implemented. The most consequential recommendation of the most authoritative report on forensic science was simply not acted upon — illustrating the structural barriers to correction.

Scoring Guide

9-10 correct: Excellent. You understand criminal justice's unique structural vulnerabilities.
7-8 correct: Good. Review the structural barriers section (27.2) and the Correction Speed Model (27.4).
5-6 correct: Fair. Revisit sections on forensic techniques (27.1) and the Innocence Project data (27.3).
Below 5: Re-read the chapter focusing on the structural analysis rather than the specific forensic failures.