Download Introduction - Mrs. Hille`s FunZone

Introduction
Chapter 1
I.
Forensic Science
A.
Broad Definition - The application of science to law
B.
Broad Application - applies the knowledge and technology of science for the
definition and enforcement of laws
C.
Working Definition - the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that
are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.
II.
D.
Criminalistics - more descriptive term for the services of a crime lab.
E.
Criminalist vs Forensic Scientist
Forensic Science History
A.
__________________________________ (1787-1853) - father of forensic
toxicology; published the first scientific treatise on the detection of poisons and their
effects on animals.
B.
__________________________________ (1853-1914) - devised the first
scientific system of personal identification; developed the science of anthropometry
which is the systematic procedure of taking a series of body measurements as a means
of distinguishing one individual from another; father of criminal identification
C.
__________________________________ (1822-1911) - performed the first
definitive study of fingerprints and developed a methodology of classifying them
D.
__________________________________ (1887-1954) - devised a relatively
simple procedure for determining the blood group of a dried bloodstain
E.
__________________________________ (1891-1955) - used the comparison
microscope to examine bullets; his expertise established the microscope as the
indispensable tool of the modern firearms examiner
F.
__________________________________ (1858-1946) - developed the
fundamental principles of document examination that are responsible for the
acceptance of documents as scientific evidence by the courts
G.
__________________________________ (1916-2002) - the world’s preeminent
microscopist; tireless advocate for applying microscopy to analytical problems,
especially forensic science cases
H.
__________________________________ (1847-1915) - wrote the first treatise
describing the application of scientific disciplines to the field of criminal investigations;
detailed the assistance that investigators could expect from the fields of microscopy,
chemistry, physics, mineralogy, zoology, botany, anthropometry and fingerprinting
I.
__________________________________ (1877-1966) - demonstrated how the
principles of Hans Gross could be incorporated within a workable crime laboratory; he
also believed that when a criminal came in contact with an object or person, a crosstransfer of evidence occurred; Locard’s Exchange Principle
III.
Organization of Crime Lab
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
IV.
More than 320 public crime a labs
3 times as many as in 1966
Labs are very diverse so there is no set model
Supreme Court decisions in 1960’s had large impact in increase in lab numbers
Technological advancements also impacted the lab numbers
Services of Crime Labs
A.
Services offered vary widely between labs
B.
Variations in local laws
C.
different capabilities and functions of the organizations to which a laboratory is
attached
D.
budgetary and staffing limitations
V.
VI.
Basic Services of Full-Service Labs
A.
__________________________________________
1.
applies principles and techniques of chemistry, physics, and geology to the
identification and comparison of crime-scene evidence
2.
staffed by criminalists who have expertise in chemical tests and modern
analytical instrumentation for the examination of items as diverse as drugs,
glass, paint, explosives, and soil
B.
__________________________________________
1.
identification and DNA profiling of dried blood-stains and other body fluids,
the comparison of hair and fibers, and the identification and comparison of
botanical materials such as wood and plants
2.
staffed with biologists and biochemists
C.
__________________________________________
1.
examination of firearms, discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun
shells, and ammunition of all types; garments and other objects are also
examined in order to detect firearm discharge residues and to approximate the
distance from a target at which a weapon was fired
2.
the same principles are applied to tool marks
D.
_________________________________________
1.
handwriting and typewriting on questioned documents are examined to
ascertain authenticity and or source
2.
Paper and ink, as well as indented writings, obliterations, erasures, and
burned or charred documents are also examined
E.
__________________________________________
1.
a complete photographic laboratory is maintained to examine and record
physical evidence
2.
procedures may require the use of highly-specialized photographic
techniques, such as digital imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray photography
to make invisible information visible to the naked eye
3.
also aid in preparation of photographic exhibit’s for courtroom presentation
Technical Support - Optional Services by Full-Service Labs
A.
__________________________ examines body fluids and organs for the
presence of drugs and poisons.
B.
__________________________ processes and examines evidence for latent
fingerprints.
C.
__________________________ conducts polygraph or lie detector tests.
D.
__________________________ attempts to tie a recorded voice to a particular
suspect.
E.
__________________________ dispatches specially trained personnel to the
crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence.
VII. Skills of a Forensic Scientist
A.
A forensic scientist must be skilled in ___________________________
__________________________of the physical and natural sciences to the analysis of
the many types of evidence that may be recovered during a criminal investigation.
B.
A forensic scientist may also provide ___________________________.
C.
An expert witness is an individual whom the court determines possesses
knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average person.
D.
The expert witness is called on to ________________________ evidence based
on specialized training and experience that the court lacks the expertise to do.
E.
The expert will then express an ______________________ as to the significance
of the findings.
F.
Forensic scientists also participate in _______________________law
enforcement personnel in the proper recognition, collection, and preservation of
physical evidence.
VIII. The Frye Standard
A.
The Frye v. United States decision set guidelines for determining the admissibility
of scientific evidence into the courtroom.
B.
To meet the Frye standard, the evidence in question must be “generally
accepted” by the scientific community.
C.
Frye Not Absolute
1.
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.
2.
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.
IX.
The Daubert Criteria
A.
In Daubert, the Supreme Court offered some guidelines as to how a judge can
gauge scientific evidence:
1.
Whether the scientific technique or theory can be (and has been)
___________________
2.
Whether the technique or theory has been subject to __________
and publication.
3.
The technique’s potential ____________________.
4.
Existence and maintenance of ___________________ controlling
the technique’s operation.
5.
Whether the scientific theory or method has attracted widespread
____________________ within a relevant scientific community.
X.
Special Forensic Science Services
A.
A number of special forensic science services are available to the law
enforcement community to augment the services of the crime laboratory.
B.
These services include forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic
entomology, forensic psychiatry, forensic odontology, computer science, and forensic
engineering.
C.
Forensic Pathology involves the investigation of unnatural, unexplained, or violent
deaths.
D.
Forensic pathologists in their role as medical examiners or coroners are charged
with determining cause of death.
E.
The forensic pathologist may conduct an autopsy which is the medical dissection
and examination of a body in order to determine the cause of death.
F.
After a human body expires there are several stages of death.
1.
____________ mortis results in the shortening of muscle tissue and the
stiffening of body parts in the position at death (occurs within the first 24 hours
and disappears within 36 hours).
2.
____________ mortis results in the settling of blood in areas of the body
closest to the ground (begins immediately on death and continues up to 12
hours).
3.
____________ mortis results in the loss of heat by a body (a general rule,
beginning about an hour after death, the body loses heat by 1 to 1-1/2 degrees
Fahrenheit per hour until the body reaches the environmental temperature).
XI.
Forensic _______________________is concerned primarily with the identification and
examination of human skeletal remains.
XII. Forensic _______________________ is the study of insects and their relation to a
criminal investigation, commonly used to estimate the time of death.
XIII. Forensic _______________________ is an area in which the relationship between
human behavior and legal proceedings is examined.
XIV. Forensic _______________________ involves using teeth to provide information about
the identification of victims when a body is left in an unrecognizable state; also investigates
bite marks.
XV. Forensic _______________________ is concerned with failure analysis, accident
reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions.
XVI. Forensic _______________________ involves the examination of digital evidence.