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Introduction to Forensic Science Chapter 1: Intro to FS The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ So what is Forensic Science? • In its broadest definition, forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws. • We will put emphasize on the applications of science to criminal and civil laws that are enforced by the criminal justice system. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Major Contributors • Mathieu Orfila- the father of forensic toxicology. • Alphonse Bertillion- devised the first scientific system of personal identification in 1879. • Francis Galton- conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 1 Bertillon’s ID • Bertillon’s system of bodily measurements as used for the identification of an individual. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Major Contributors • Leone Lattes- developed a procedure to determine blood type from dried bloodstains. • Calvin Goddard- used a comparison microscope to determine if a particular gun fired a bullet. • Albert Osborn- developed the fundamental principles of document examination. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Major Contributors • Walter McCrone- utilized microscopy and other analytical methodologies to examine evidence. • Hans Gross- wrote the first treatise describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation. • Edmond Locard- incorporated Gross’ principles within a workable crime laboratory. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 2 Major Contributors • Locard’s Exchange Principle- states that when a criminal comes in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of evidence occurs. • Sir Alec Jeffreys- developed the first DNA profiling test in 1984 The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ The Crime Lab • The development of crime laboratories in the United States has been characterized – Rapid growth. – Lack of national and regional planning and coordination. • At present, approximately 350 public crime laboratories operate at various levels of government—federal, state, county, and municipal. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ The Crime Lab • The ever increasing number of crime laboratories is partly the result of the following: – Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s responsible for police placing greater emphasis on scientifically evaluated evidence. – Crime laboratories inundated with drug specimens due to accelerated drug abuse. – The advent of DNA profiling. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 3 Technical Support • The technical support provided by crime laboratories can be assigned to five basic services. 1. Physical Science Unit 2. Biology Unit 3. Firearms Unit 4. Document Unit 5. Photographic Unit http://www.courttv.com/forensics/lab/ The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Technical Support • Physical Science Unit incorporates the principles of chemistry, physics, and geology to identify and compare physical evidence. • Biology Unit applies the knowledge of biological sciences in order to investigate blood samples, body fluids, hair, and fiber samples. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Technical Support • Firearms Unit investigates discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition. • Document Unit provides the skills needed for handwriting analysis and other questioned-document issues. • Photographic Unit applies specialized photographic techniques for recording and examining physical evidence. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 4 Technical Support • Optional Services by Full-Service Labs – Toxicology Unit examines body fluids and organs for the presence of drugs and poisons. – Latent Fingerprint Unit processes and examines evidence for latent fingerprints. – Polygraph Unit conducts polygraph or lie detector tests. – Voiceprint Analysis Unit attempts to tie a recorded voice to a particular suspect. – Evidence-Collection Unit dispatches specially trained personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Analyzing Evidence The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ The Scientific Method • Formulate a question worthy of investigation. • Formulate a reasonable hypothesis to answer the question. • Test the hypothesis through experimentation. • Upon validation of the hypothesis, it become suitable as scientific evidence. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 5 Skills of a Forensic Scientist • Skilled in applying the principles and techniques of the physical and natural sciences. • A forensic scientist may also provide expert court testimony. • An expert witness is an individual whom the court determines possesses knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average person. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Skills of a Forensic Scientist • Called on to evaluate evidence based on specialized training and experience that the court lacks the expertise to do. • The expert will then express an opinion as to the significance of the findings. • Train law enforcement personnel in the proper recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ The Frye Standard • The Frye v. United States decision set guidelines for determining the admissibility of scientific evidence into the courtroom. • To meet the Frye standard, the evidence in question must be “generally accepted” by the scientific community. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 6 Frye Not Absolute • However, in the 1993 case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court asserted that the Frye standard is not an absolute prerequisite to the admissibility of scientific evidence. • Trial judges were said to be ultimately responsible as “gatekeepers” for the admissibility and validity of scientific evidence presented in their courts, as well as all expert testimony. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Daubert Criteria For Admissibility 1. Whether the scientific technique or theory can be tested. 2. Whether the technique has been subject to peer review and publication. 3. The techniques potential rate of error. 4. Existence and maintenance of standards . 5. Whether the scientific theory or method has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community. The Nora School Forensic Science 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Period _______ Special FS Services • Forensic Psychiatry is an area in which the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined. • Forensic Odontology involves using teeth to provide information about the identification of victims when a body is left in an unrecognizable state. Also investigates bite marks. • Forensic Engineering is concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions. • Forensic Computer Science involves the examination of digital evidence. The Nora School 955 Sligo Avenue Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Forensic Science Period _______ 7