A DNA testing laboratory may be requested to serve as a consultant to the attorneys, the defendant, or the judge. The laboratory also has an obligation to perform quality DNA tests and to interpret and report the results accurately and without bias.

The laboratory should test only the amount of sample needed to obtain reliable test results and retain untested samples for possible future testing.

See chapter 8 of Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests for the complete National Commission on the Future of Forensic DNA's complete Recommendations for Laboratory Personnel.

The public or private laboratory skilled in DNA testing can assist in the postconviction process in a number of ways, including:

• Agreeing to conduct some pro bono testing at the request of a judicial officer, prosecutor, defense counsel, or project.
• Making its personnel available to assist participants in a postconviction proceeding who lack adequate technical expertise.
  

Some or all of the content on this page was excerpted from the Special Report Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests, developed under an award from the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice. See award product disclaimer.