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FORENSIC SCIENCE

FORENSIC SCIENCE. Text: Criminalistics by Richard Saferstein. Forensic Science is Defined. as the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.

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FORENSIC SCIENCE

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  1. FORENSIC SCIENCE Text: Criminalistics by Richard Saferstein

  2. Forensic Science is Defined • as the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system. • Or, forensic science resolves legal issues by applying scientific principles to them.

  3. History of forensic science is relatively new Names to know: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holes stories Mathieu Orfila – father of forensic toxicology Alphonse Bertillon – anthropometry is science of body measurements Francis Galton – Classified fingerprints Leone Lattes – grouped dried blood Calvin Goddard – used comparison microscope to examine firearms Albert Osborn – document examination was accepted in court Hans Gross – recognized scientific principles should be applied to criminal investigation Forensic Science - History

  4. Forensic Science - History • Edmond Locard – 1877 – 1966 • Locard’s Exchange Principle which says when two objects come into contact with each other, each of the objects will leave particles of one on the other. It is this principle that is the foundation of the study of “trace evidence”.

  5. Crime Laboratory • No regional or national planning has modeled a “typical” crime lab. • Increase in numbers because • Increase in crime • Increase in drug related crimes require toxicology testing • DNA profiling has put increased demand on crime labs

  6. Crime Laboratory • Four major federal crime labs: • FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation has largest crime lab in the world • DEA – Drug Enforcement Administration analyzes drugs seized • ATF – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms analyzes alcohol, examines weapons in conjunction with Gun Control Act of 1968 and Organized Crime Control Act 1970, and examines documents relating to tax laws • US Postal inspection Service criminal investigations relating to postal service.

  7. Crime Laboratory - services • Physical Science unit • Drugs, glass, paint, explosives and soil • Biology Unit • DNA profiling of dried bloodstains and other body fluids • Comparison of hairs and fibers • ID and comparison of plant materials (wool, seeds, etc.a)

  8. Crime Laboratory - services • Firearms Unit • Examines firearms, discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition. Gunshot Residue (GSH) is also studied and analyzed. • Document Examination Unit • Handwriting and typewriting document analysis as well as paper and ink analysis

  9. Crime Laboratory - services • Photography Unit • Digital, infrared, ultraviolet and X-ray photography yields new information Full Service Labs also provide • Toxicology Units • Latent Fingerprint Unit • Polygraph Unit • Voiceprint Analysis Unit • Evidence-Collection Unit

  10. Landmark Cases • Frye v. United States – discussed what is mean by a technique that is “generally accepted” by most of the scientific community. • Federal Rule of Evidence 702- deals with admissibility of expert testimony • Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc. allows trial judge to decide who is and who is not an expert witness.

  11. Landmark Cases • Coppolino v. State – recognized the admissibility of new techniques as long as they are based on scientifically valid principles and techniques.

  12. Expert Testimony • If a witness can establish to the satisfaction of a trial judge they are an expert, their testimony can be considered “expert”. • Absolute certainty – never possible. Usually an opinion is given probabilities and statistical chances. • Forensic scientist does not testify for the defense or the prosecution. They testify only to the truth as they can ascertain it.

  13. Forensic Pathology Investigation of sudden, unnatural, unexplained or violent deaths Forensic Anthropology Identification of human skeletal remains Forensic Entomology Study of insects and their relations to a criminal investigation Forensic Psychiatry Relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined Forensic Odontology Characteristics of teeth used to ID body Forensic Engineering Reasons for structural failure and where the responsibility might fall. Additional Forensic Services

  14. Detection of Curare in the Jascalevich Murder Trial • What was the reason this case was given at this point in the text? • What was Jascalevich charged with? • What was the result of the trial? • If you were the forensic expert on this case how would you have handled the investigation differently?

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