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Q1: Branches of Forensics and Observational Skills

Q1: Branches of Forensics and Observational Skills. What is Forensics?. FORENSICS : The study and application of science to matters of law Matters of law = Crimination investigation and trial. This is one of the NEWEST Sciences in the United States

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Q1: Branches of Forensics and Observational Skills

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  1. Q1: Branches of Forensics and Observational Skills

  2. What is Forensics? • FORENSICS: The study and application of science to matters of law • Matters of law = Crimination investigation and trial This is one of the NEWEST Sciences in the United States In 1987, Florida rapist Tommie Lee Andrews became the first person in the U.S. to be convicted as a result of DNA evidence; he was sentenced to 22 years behind bars.

  3. Depts. of Forensics (11) 1. PATHOLOGY: Study of disease and injury • A.k.a. Medical Examiners and Coroners • Conduct Autopsies

  4. Depts. of Forensics cont… 2. ODONTOLOGY: The study of teeth and bite mark analysis 3. ENTOMOLOGY: The study of insects

  5. Dept. of Forensics cont… 4. SEROLOGY: Study of bodily fluids • Semen • Saliva • Blood/Bloodsplatter analysis 5. BALLISTICS: Study of the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles

  6. Depts. of Forensics cont… 6. DOCUMENT EXAMINATION: • Handwriting Analysis • Authenticity of Certifications, Wills, Paychecks, etc 7. POREOSCOPY: Study of Fingerprints 8. ANTHROPOLOGY: Study of skeletal remains • Facial reconstruction • Mass Disasters

  7. Dept. of Forensics cont… 9. POLYGRAPHY: Study of Lie Detection 10. TOXICOLOGY: Drug analysis • DUI • Overdose • Lethal Drug combinations • Poison 11. PSYCHIATRY: Study the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings • Sane enough to stand trial • Recommendation for sentencing • Create profiles based on behavioral patterns • Wills, settling property, refusal of medical treatment

  8. What do Forensic Investigators need to be able to do? • Observe • Identify evidence • Interpret • Determine the significance of evidence • Report • Recreating the series of events

  9. What is Observation? • OBSERVATION:What a person perceives using his or her senses • Every single moment we are gathering and processing information around us • Sight • Taste • Hearing • Smell • Touch

  10. PROBLEM! • We cannot pay attention to everything at once. • Constant flow of data would clutter our thoughts • Brain selects what is important • Unconsciously apply a filter • Paying attention to detail takes a CONSCIOUS EFFORT! • Example: Where did I put the Tennis Ball? • Example: Where did I put my pen?

  11. PROBLEM: Looks are decieving

  12. How information is processed in our brains What we pay Attention to Perception Short-Term Memory Information from our senses Short-Term Memory Long-Term Memory

  13. Observational Activity • Everyone get into a group of 3-4 students • Write all your names on 1 sheet of paper and number that paper 1-16 • All questions are worth 1 point • Team with the highest point total will get 1 point on Quiz #1 • Lets see if you were REALLY paying attention

  14. Old School Movie Clip How much money is Vince Vaughn worth that “the government does know about? There were red and white banners hanging above Snoop Dog when he was rapping. What did that banner say? What kind of soda does Will Ferrell have in his hands before he starts drinking beer? What is the picture of on Will Ferrell’s shirt? What are the 3 letters on the back of Snoop’s hoodie? What is the name of the party they were at? What state is the license plate of Frank the Tank’s wife from?

  15. Round 2 Now you are prepared and know I will be asking you questions so your observational skills should be better because you are making a CONSCIOUS EFFORT! 10 seconds to study the next picture Each is still worth 1 point

  16. Race Start Line There is a man standing in the center of the starting line holding all the runners back. What is he standing on? What deodorant is sponsoring the race? What color is the truck in the background? What color are my shorts? What is the name of the race? (On the sides of the black inflatable barrier)

  17. Q Wedding Photo How many people in the picture are currently teaching at McMahon? What color is Coach Albano’s shirt? Which teacher is standing farthest right? How many fingers is Grillo holding in the air?

  18. Perceptual Fallacies • FALLACY:A mistaken belief (error/delusion) • What is important to us is decided by various factors • “Our normal perceptions do not correspond directly to reality. Things we perceive are not entirely determined by what our senses detect RATHER they are influenced by what we expect, know, and believe.” • Bertino, 2008 • SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? • THAT SEEING IS NOT NECESSARILY BELIEVING!!

  19. Count the number of Black Dots

  20. Old HagorYoung Lady

  21. Size Consistency: Bambuti Tribe

  22. Looking for Clarity in Vagueness

  23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqYihGFDC6o

  24. Judgements

  25. Jurors Can Be Influenced As Well

  26. Jen Wilbanks, Runaway Bride (2005)

  27. Have you ever flown on a plane next to one of these? SCARY!!!

  28. Awwww! Look at this cute, sweet looking old man!

  29. Albert Fish Child rapist and cannibal 1870-1936

  30. Caylee Anthony

  31. The Innocence Project • Legal organization committed to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing • Notable stats: • 70% of wrongful convictions were a result of incorrect witness identification • Sort between FACT and OPINION • Project has freed 311 wrongfully convicted people • 18 of which were on death row • Average sentence served was 13 years • 27 states have passed laws to compensate wrongfully convicted people

  32. Don’t get me Wrong… See something say something FBI stops attacks everyday http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsuccessful_terrorist_plots_in_the_United_States_post-9/11

  33. Definitions EXONERATE: To release someone from duty or an obligation LAW: A statement or assertion of information that can be verified OPINION: Personal belief founded on judgment rather than on direct experience or knowledge

  34. Evidence • Evidence: Anything that tends to prove or disprove a fact • 2 Types of Evidence • Direct Evidence • Physical Evidence

  35. Direct Evidence • DIRECT EVIDENCE: A statement under oath. What is said in court by a competent witness • Eyewitness accounts of crime-scene events vary considerably from one person to another. • What you observe depends on: • Level of interest • Concentration • Amount or kind of distraction present • Prejudices • Personal beliefs • Motives

  36. INNOCENT BYSTANDER: a social physiological phenomenon where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. This happens because the bystander is less likely to interpret the incident as a problem, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action Innocent Bystander Effect

  37. Notice Anything? (+1)

  38. Important Points to Consider with Eyewitness Testimony 1. Type of crime and how witness saw it • Victims have more accurate memories • The more serious crime = more accurate the memory • The more serious crime = longer memory exists • Why is this? • Threats may sharpen recall • Stress narrows focus

  39. Donald Thompson • Australian eyewitness expert Donald Thomson appeared on a live TV discussion about the unreliability of eyewitness memory. He was later arrested, placed in a lineup and identified by a victim as the man who had raped her. The police charged Thomson although the rape had occurred at the time he was on TV. They dismissed his alibi that he was in plain view of a TV audience and in the company of the other discussants, including an assistant commissioner of police. Eventually, the investigators discovered that the rapist had attacked the woman as she was watching TV - the very program on which Thompson had appeared. Authorities eventually cleared Thomson. The woman had confused he rapist's face with the face the she had seen on TV. (Baddeley, 2004).

  40. Important Points to Consider with Eyewitness Testimony • 2. Characteristics of Witness/Victim • People are better at remembering certain things (hair, gender) than others (age, race, height) • A witness who is physically similar to the offender is more likely to give an accurate description • Children don’t remember as well as adults • Age effects eyesight • Learning disabilities, alcohol and drug problems, head injury

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