Forensic Chemistry and Ethics

This blog post will scratch the surface of ethical issues unique to the practice of analytical chemistry. Analytical chemistry has application in many different disciplines and as a result, is an essential and crucial part of our modern society. A high level of morality, integrity, and a high moral code are necessary for anyone working in the analytical chemistry field. Analytical chemists must be ready and willing to take full responsibility for missteps in their work and do all that they can to ensure that they don’t happen in the first place. They have a social responsibility to provide the highest quality of information to the intended audience. A professional chemist has an obligation to the public.

This is especially true in the field of forensic chemistry, which is the application of chemistry to legal problems and criminal investigations where guilt or innocence is determined in court. The public’s trust and confidence is placed on these technician’s shoulders. The first major issue here is conflict of interest. If the lab technician knows the defendant it is paramount that they let their supervisor know and get off the case as working a case of someone they know could get the case thrown out of court. 

The end result of a presumptive Duquenois Levine screening test for THC

 Forensic chemists determine the identity of an unknown substance in criminal cases, a substantial amount of cases are drug related. Forensic chemists are trusted to work with illegal substances as laboratory standards and evidence. Throughout the chain of custody, the evidence can be intentionally or accidentally mishandled. In the laboratory, the evidence may be prone to contamination as a result of poor laboratory skills, mislabeling, misplacement, or destruction.

Technicians must be 100% confident and honest about their findings. The identity and weight of the substance has a heavy impact on how much time someone will do. They must be accurate and clear when preparing their reports regarding their analysis of a case evidence. These tests results and reports are used in criminal cases and technicians may be asked to testify in court. Lab technician’s testimony will often have a great influence on the jurors as they are testifying as experts. It’s important that they take special care not to mislead any part of the court when testifying.

The lab results and testimonies will likely change someone’s future, anywhere from a few months up to many, many years. Someone’s life is essentially in these laboratory  technician’s hands. A misidentification of a drug or recording an incorrect weight can cost the defendant years off of their life. Thus, it is absolutely imperative that forensic scientists hold an extremely high level in ethics and integrity.