Forensic Science Standards Development: Get Informed and Get Involved.

• Author: Limoges, Jennifer
• Position: National Institute of Standards and Technology's Organization of Scientific Area Committees, Academy Standards Board

The use of science in the courtroom is more critical than ever in today's criminal justice system, and forensic science standards can help improve the consistency and reliability of the forensic evidence and expert testimony that is introduced into the courts. This article provides a general introduction to forensic standards and the work of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) and the Academy Standards Board (ASB) to develop these documents. Then detailed information is presented on Forensic Toxicology standards that impact impaired driving investigations.

THE CALL FOR STANDARDS IN FORENSICS

The 2009 National Research Council (NRC) report, Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward, critically reviewed the forensic sciences in the United States, and encouraged the development and implementation of standards. "Standards and best practices create a professional environment that allows organizations and professions to create quality systems, policies, and procedures and maintain autonomy from vested interest groups. Standards ensure desirable characteristics of services and techniques such as quality, reliability, efficiency, and consistency among practitioners." (1)

In response the NRC report, the NIST created the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for forensic science, with the goal of "Strengthening the nation's use of forensic science by facilitating the development of technically sound standards and guidelines and encouraging their use throughout the forensic science community." (2)

The various OSAC Subcommittees draft discipline-specific documents. The OSAC also provides legal, human factors, statistics, and quality task groups to support the various subcommittees in their efforts. Their seed documents are then forwarded to a standards developing organization (SDO) to be developed and published through consensus based processes. The OSAC subcommittees currently work with four different SDOs:

* Academy Standards Board (ASB)

* American Dental Association (ADA)

* ASTM International

* National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

THE ACADEMY STANDARDS BOARD (ASB)

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is a multidisciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance science and its application to the legal system. Following the NRC report and the creation of the OSAC, the AAFS immediately recognized the unique and important role it should have in forensic science standards. The AAFS created the ASB as the first US SDO dedicated entirely to the development and maintenance of forensic science standards. The ASB is accredited by the...