Nothing but warning signals come out in this news article about a self-styled yet prior qualified (in other cases) DNA expert running into some trouble. The record states he admitted having no direct experience in using actual DNA profiling lab equipment. I’m sure he’s been around this bend before. Also, this is not an unusual objection used to disqualify a courtroom expert. Every judge has his/her own threshold for admitting experts as the Rules are rather thin. In Mississippi its real easy to be a poly-math expert who is “self-taught” in certain police “sciences.” Just look at Michael West, the state’s star bitemark/blood spatter/ballistics/knife wound/gay and lesbian expert go to guy.
The report says the expert admitted a few failures in his past.
“Richard Eikelenboom was rejected as a DNA expert by Denver District Court Judge Brian Whitney after a Denver prosecutor got Eikelenboom to admit that he had no direct DNA extraction or analysis experience, that he operates a lab that has not been accredited, that he personally failed his basic proficiency tests in 2011 and 2012, and admitted that he was ‘self-trained’ in running DNA profiles,” the news release states.
From the Denver Post