Warm UP

1. Warm UP • http://forensicunit.weebly.com/evidence.html Using the link above: review the evidence types List each evidence type & one thing about that evidence

2. Click below • http://www.powershow.com/view/3b3183-Y2ZiN/FORENSIC_SCIENCE_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

3. Crime Scene Investigations “Find what they leave behind”

4. Things to know before you begin.

5. Criminal Law

6. ~ Criminal cases brought before the courts are generally separated into three categories: misdemeanors, felonies, and treason. ~ Misdemeanors are lesser offenses settled with fines or forfeiture of property, and some are punishable with a jail sentence of less than one year. ~ Felonies are far more serious crimes that result in harsher penalties such as being sentenced to a state or federal penitentiary for one year or longer. ~ They include assault cases, drug sales, various white collar crimes and other deeds that are harmful to people or society. Felony crimes such as homicide may also be eligible to receive the death penalty in some states. ~ Treason is defined as any act that violates allegiance to your own country. Originally this primarily referred to war crimes, but over the years the most common form of treason has become the selling of government secrets to hostile countries.

7. Jurisdiction

8. ~ The criminal justice system is comprised of three separate parts: police enforcement, court system, and criminal corrections. ~ When the police arrest a suspect who will be tried, the legal system must first determine the location where the case will be tried. ~ The term jurisdiction describes the legal authority to hear a legal matter and make an official ruling. Jurisdiction establishes where each trial will take place. ~ There are three separate factors to consider when making the decision of which court will try a case: geographic location, type of crime, and subject.

9. Criminal Offenses

10. ~ Actusreus is the Latin term used to describe a criminal act. Every crime must be considered in two parts-the physical act of the crime (actusreus) and the mental intent to do the crime (mensreus). ~ To establish actusreus, a lawyer must prove that the accused party was responsible for a deed prohibited by criminal law. ~ Actusreus is commonly defined as a criminal act that was the result of voluntary bodily movement. ~ This describes a physical activity that harms another person or damages property. Anything from a physical assault or murder to the destruction of public property would qualify as an actusreus.

11. What is Forensics

12. The definition of "forensic" is an argument or discussion used for a legal matter in a Court of Law. Therefore, forensic science is a dialog about, or debate of, scientific theories in a judicial setting.

13. Evidence

14. Bullets that have been fired at the scene of any crime will be examined in the hopes of discovering several pieces of information. The actual bullets can identify what type of gun the criminal used and whether or not the firearm is connected to any other crime. The amount of damage a bullet has sustained upon hitting a hard surface can help determine approximately where the shooter was standing, what angle the gun was fired from, and when the gun was fired. Any residue on the bullet can be studied and compared to residue on the hand of a suspect, on the gun that was fired, or on any object that was close by when the firearm was used. This information helps researchers uncover the identity of the shooter. When the bullets are missing, the type of impact they made can lead investigators to ascertain what kind of bullet the criminal used, and therefore the type of gun as well. • Studying the markings found on a bullet or the impact a bullet made on any surface can establish exactly which gun the criminal used. Every firearm produces a slightly different and unique pattern on the shell-casing it fires; the bullet will therefore imprint a distinct pattern upon anything it hits. Once scientists have identified these markings they can easily match them to the appropriate firearm. • There are many experts deeply involved in this study, and they are frequently called upon to help solve crimes. Ballistics details are also commonly input into a large database that can be accessed by law enforcement agencies all across the country. When someone enters new data, the computer locates any relevant data from previous investigations. This information can lead to the discovery of the owner of a particular weapon, and assist in tracking down the guilty party who fired the gun.

15. Finger Prints Forensic scientists have used fingerprints in criminal investigations as a means of identification for many years. Fingerprint identification is one of the most important criminal investigation tools due to two aspects of fingerprints: their persistence and their uniqueness. The word persistence refers to the fact that fingerprints do not change over time. The friction ridges which create fingerprints are formed while inside the womb and grow proportionally as the baby grows. Permanent scarring is the only way a fingerprint can change. The word uniqueness acknowledges that fingerprints are unique to an individual. Even identical twins have been shown to have different fingerprints • Types of Prints In general, the purpose of collecting fingerprints is to identify the fingerprint-leaver. This person may be the suspect, a victim, or even someone else who happened to be at the place where the print was found. There are three types of fingerprints that can be found: latent, patent, and plastic. Latent fingerprints are made of the sweat and oil on the skin's surface. This type of fingerprint is invisible to the naked eye and requires additional processing in order to be seen. This processing can include basic powder techniques or the use of chemicals. Patent fingerprints can be made by blood, grease, ink, or dirt. This type of fingerprint is easily visible to the human eye. Plastic fingerprints are three-dimensional impressions and can be made by pressing your fingers in fresh paint, wax, soap, or tar. Like patent fingerprints, plastic fingerprints are easily seen by the human eye and do not require additional processing for visibility purposes.

16. Cause, Mechanism, and Manner of Death When a death occurs, a physician or medical examiner must fill out a death certificate. In order to properly complete this document, they must determine three things: the cause, the mechanism, and the manner of death. There is often confusion about which is which. The cause of death is the disease or injury that produces the physiological disruption inside the body resulting in death. An example of a cause of death is a gunshot wound to the chest. The mechanism of death is the physiological derangement that results in the death. An example of a mechanism of death due to the gunshot wound described above is exsanguination (extreme blood loss). Last but not least, the manner of death is how the death came about. • Manner of death can be classified in six ways: • Natural 2) Accident 3) Suicide 4) Homicide 5) Undetermined 6) Pending A natural death occurs as a result of aging, illness, or disease. An accidental death occurs when an injury or poisoning causes death but it is unintentional. In this case there can be no evidence supporting the idea that the poisoning or injury occurred with an intent to harm or cause death. A suicide results from an injury or poisoning occurring from a deliberate, self-inflicted act committed to harm or cause death to one's self. A homicide occurs when death is caused by another person. Undetermined is used as a classification when the information pointing toward one manner of death is no more compelling than any others. A pending death is one that is waiting on more evidence or analysis before the examiner can make a determination.

17. http://forensics.rice.edu/index.html Use the above listed link to go on a virtual CSI case…..please choose an advanced case