Talk on science in court set for March 8

Valerie Hans

4:48 p.m., March 3, 2005--The ability of juries to fully comprehend and properly consider complex scientific evidence, such as medical and technological advances, economic projections and research studies, will be discussed by Valerie Hans, UD professor of sociology and criminal justice, from 3:30-5 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, in 123 Sharp Laboratory.

The lecture, “Science In The Jury Box,” will mark the 100th anniversary of Phi Kappa Phi. Hans is president of the Delaware chapter.

The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will draw on research that Hans has conducted, examining how lay people respond to testimony about mitochondrial DNA analysis within the context of criminal trials. The research project, funded by the National Institute of Justice, studied whether members of a jury pool were able to understand DNA evidence, how they used it in deciding a mock jury trial and whether their comprehension could be improved through proposed jury reform techniques.

Refreshments will be served.

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