Free The Innocent, Convict The Guilty
September 4th, 2008 Posted in BlogOn Tuesday, Santa Clara County inaugurated its brand new $75 million Crime Lab. The facility was introduced with the fanfare that goes with any new public building; speeches by elected officials; a ribbon cutting; and tours of the facility for VIPs. PRx had the pleasure of videotaping the festivities.
And while there is a lot of interest these days in forensic science, thanks to TV shows like CSI, the work of any crime lab goes to the heart of not necessarily scientific investigation, but of our system of justice.
District Attorney Dolores Carr, whose office oversees the county crime lab, wrapped up her remarks Thursday by pointing out that the new facility will help “free the innocent and convict the guilty.”
It’s an important statement by the highest ranking law enforcement official in the county. Carr, a former Superior Court Judge, acknowledges that sometimes the wrong people get convicted. And if the wrong person gets convicted, the person who has committed the crime is running free; and justice is not served.
Having a facility with the latest in forensic technology helps to ensure the accuracy of criminal investigations, Carr says. The goal is to reduce the chances of error by making sure DNA, ballistics and a vast array of other tests performed at the lab are absolutely accurate. Carr says the new crime lab gets us a lot closer to that goal.
So when you see forensic work going on in real life or on TV, by all means be impressed by the science, but keep in mind that ultimately its purpose is to serve a justice system that strives to be truly just.
PRx produced, directed and edited this short video about the event as part of our new video production services we offer to clients to better tell their stories.
[More photos can be found in our Flickr set.]
