Introduction
Part I. The Use of Forensic Science in the Courtroom
Chapter 1. The Concept of Admissibility
Chapter 2. Judicial Rules for Admissibility of Forensic Science Evidence
Chapter 3. The Problem with Bad Science
Chapter 4. Science and the Law: Ships Passing in the Night
Part II. The Reliability of Pattern Identifications
Chapter 5. Generalization and Individualization
Chapter 6. DNA
Chapter 7. Hair Comparison
Chapter 8. Fingerprints: Friction Ridge Analysis
Chapter 9. Tool Marks and Ballistics
Chapter 10. Handwriting: Questioned Document Examination
Chapter 11. Digital Forensics
Chapter 12. Footwear Comparison
Part III. The Admissibility of “How” Testimony
Chapter 13. Fire and Explosions
Chapter 14. Blood Stains and Patterns
Chapter 15. Gunshot Residue
Chapter 16. Medical Examiner Testimony
Part IV. The Use of Forensic Science Out of Court
Chapter 17. Non-Criminal and Administrative Investigations
Chapter 18. Criminal Investigations (narrowing the field)
Part V. The Future of Forensic Science Evidence
Chapter 19. Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 20. Pathways to Improvement
Biography
Hon. (ret.) Donald E. Shelton was a Circuit Judge in Ann Arbor, Michigan for almost 25 years. During his time on the bench, he served as Chief Judge of the Circuit, Juvenile and Probate Courts. The Michigan Constitution requires that judges leave the bench at age 70. After retiring from the bench, he was a Professor at the University of Michigan Dearborn and the Director of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program and Director of the University’s Justice Reform Project. Born in Jackson, Michigan Judge Shelton earned his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University, his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School, his Masters degree in Criminology from Eastern Michigan University, and his PhD in Judicial Studies from the University of Nevada Reno. Dr. Shelton is a prolific author, particularly in the field of forensic science evidence His doctoral dissertation was “Criminal Adjudication: The Challenges of Forensic Science Evidence in the Early 21st Century” and his earlier books include “Forensic Science in Court: Challenges in the 21st Century” and “Forensic Science Evidence: Can the Law Keep up with Science?”. He has published many articles and research papers and was one of the earliest published researchers into the so-called “CSI Effect” and the expectation of jurors for scientific evidence. Judge Shelton is a Fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the past Chair of the AAFS Jurisprudence Section. He continues to teach forensic science and criminal justice and recently served as a member and committee chair of the Michigan Governor’s Forensic Science Task Force.
“Shelton, who earned a reputation as one of the most skillful trial attorneys in Michigan before he was elected to the circuit court bench in 1990, has an impressive academic pedigree. Like his earlier books, Shelton’s most recent effort is spiced with various case studies ... his third work in the legal trilogy.”—Tom Kirvan, Legal News, April 2026
