Blood Trail

By Gerald Sheindlin and Catherine Whitney

Chronicles the history of a crime-solving technology that has significantly affected the criminal justice system, from the first trial to use DNA evidence through the most recent efforts of defense... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345402804
• ISBN13: 9780345402806
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.1" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Suspenseful + Emotional + illustrated & easy-to-understand explanation of DNA + Riveting writing s

I've seen on TV news and Internet (i.e. CNN, etc.) where suspected killers were let go because of contamination of DNA evidence. However, there were no clear explanation of what the contamination was and how that made the judge threw out the evidence. That made me very frustrated. After reading this book, my frustration was replaced with satisfaction and excitement. The writing style is one of the best I've ever read in related to true crimes. It vividly explains in down-to-earth terms what DNA was with 6 diagrams. These pictures made it easier for me to understand this subject. Still I had to read this section 3 times before I could completely understand it. It's riveting because some of the explanation applied directly to the cases in the book together with diagrams. For example, in the case against Joseph Castro, the diagram showed why some experts believed the blood DNA on the killer's watch might NOT came from the victim. The book also described how sloppy the private lab did their job. This mistake almost cost the prosecutor her case. Judge Gerald's logic is very clear and convincing. I'm completely agree with all of his arguments. No wonder his guidelines on DNA ruling have been used in many courtrooms. He has also been invited to speak at law schools and FBI academy. This book is also full of emotion and suspense. I read it for more than 4 hours non-stop. I could not let it down until I finished it. It's a must-have for true-crime fans.