Opinion ID: 1187781
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: admission of results of dna test

Text: Julie Kempton, a molecular biologist for Cellmark Diagnostics, testified at trial regarding DNA testing she performed on various fabric and blood samples, including cuttings from blood-stained Nike tennis shoes and a blue denim Dickies jacket. These items had been removed from the Valdez home during execution of the search warrant. Kempton had performed PCR testing on the fabric samples. She testified that, using the database Cellmark subscribed to, 1 in every 7,600 individuals in the Hispanic population would have genetic markers consistent with those found on the evidence. She concluded that Valdez could not have been the source of the DNA that was extracted from the evidence material, and the victim could not be excluded as a source. Valdez objected to Kempton's qualifications as a statistician and a mathematician and the chain of custody. The court overruled both objections.