Science in the Courtroom is focus on new Supreme Court exhibit in Ohio
The increasingly important role of science and technology in the courtroom is the focus of five new exhibits in the Supreme Court of Ohio Visitor Education Center.
The exhibits, “Identity on Trial,” trace the historic development, use and impact of scientific advances, including photography, fingerprint analysis, DNA and brain scans. Stories of past cases provide examples of how science furthered justice and in some instances raised questions about legal issues, such as civil liberties.
Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer said the exhibits are designed to engage both adult and student visitors. “Displays include hands-on activities that highlight the importance of observation, classification and analysis,” Moyer said.
The activities challenge the visitor’s skills as an eyewitness, fingerprint analyst and DNA profiler.
Students from a suburban Columbus school were among the first to walk through the exhibits within hours after installation was completed. Audrey Unverferth, a fourth-grade student at Wellington, said the interactive fingerprint display was challenging. “Matching fingerprints was a lot trickier than I imagined, because each finger print is made up of so many squiggly lines and small details,” she said.
Jay Wuebbold, manager of civic education programs for the Supreme Court, said planning for the project began in January 2008 with a roundtable discussion that included educators, judges and attorneys. “To avoid straying into the make-believe world of TV crime shows, we made a point of consulting with law enforcement officials and educators. Crime scene investigators, fingerprint analysts and DNA specialists at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation were particularly helpful.”
The exhibits are the latest addition to the Visitor Education Center that opened in December 2005. The center is designed to provide both adult and student visitors with an inside look at Ohio courts. The exhibits portray the workings and history of the judiciary with hands-on activities, bold graphics and engaging videos.
To arrange a tour of the center and new exhibits, call 614.387.9223 or e-mail courttours@sc.ohio.gov.
Topics: brain scans, cilvil liberties, DNA, exhibit, fingerprint, Governance, Identity on Trial, justice, Ohio, Ohio Visitor Education Center, photography, science, supreme court, technology, U.S., United States
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