Which standard governs the admissibility of forensic techniques based on acceptance by the scientific community?

• A. Frye standard
• B. Daubert standard
• C. M’Naghten rule
• D. Probative standard

Answer: (B)

Admissibility of forensic techniques rests on assessing scientific reliability, not just whether the method is popular. The Daubert standard provides a modern framework used by federal courts (and many states) to decide whether a technique is scientifically valid enough to be admitted as evidence. It goes beyond mere general acceptance and asks judges to consider multiple factors that together judge reliability: whether the method can be tested or falsified, whether it has been subjected to peer review and publication, the known error rates, the existence of and adherence to standards controlling the technique, and whether the technique has gained widespread acceptance as a valid method in the relevant scientific community. While acceptance by the scientific community is part of the picture, Daubert treats it as one piece of a broader reliability assessment, making it the best fit for modern admissibility decisions. Frye relies solely on general acceptance, which is narrower, and the other options refer to different legal concepts not about evaluating scientific methods.