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John Timbrell makes a good point. While chairman of MSA, we regularly say very questionable evidence and some pretty arcane evidence on the 'interpretation' side also (indeed, a lot of the PhDs sponsored were on that side, the science being well established).

The good commercial labs are every inch the equal of the FSS in terms of rigour and indeed, have done some superb development work on new techniques and their testing. They will give the answer the science demands. A lab that doesn't risks losing its credibility and accreditations - both far more important long term than upsetting someone because the results you come up with aren't the ones they want.

However, there are hired guns. That is true in all the expert witness areas, regrettably.