Real-Life Decision Making
You look at the test results and let out a long sigh. In the past months,
several women have been attacked and the police think one man is responsible
for these crimes. You were hoping your friends in the police department had
caught the fellow. The detectives involved told you, "This is the man!" But
it doesn't look that way now -- the blood doesn't match.
Reaching for your chair, you think about what to do next. Indirectly, your
laboratory works for the police department. As such, there is an unwritten
law that when there is doubt about a case, you support the police, not the
criminal. You also know that the mayor has been putting pressure on the police
to solve this crime. You've heard that she has been getting a lot of mail
and telephone calls from people who want this man behind bars. And if you
tell her that the police don't have the right person, you know that she is
going to be really angry -- at you!
You personally know all the detectives -- you work with them whenever there
is a case to solve. As a result, several are your friends now. You know their
kids, you eat dinner at their houses, and in the summer you play ball with
them.
Over the past few months, you've discussed this case with them over many
dinners. They've complained about the pressure they are under to solve the
case. You know all about this. And it wasn't only their bosses who were shouting
at them to get this problem solved -- it was also their friends and family.
Everybody was afraid.
You remember the detectives rushing into your office with a package of
donuts and a tray of coffee, exclaiming that they were going to party because
they caught the suspect and all they needed was your test to put him behind
bars! You were just as confident as they were that the blood tests would prove
that the man was guilty. You knew this man was the only suspect.
Everyone is waiting for your results to confirm that the suspect is the
attacker. But the test results show that the suspect is NOT the attacker.
What do you do?