Intro Forensic Science Test 1 Review

first crime lab in US

LAPD (1928)

2nd crime lab in US

Northwestern University (became Chicago PD lab)

Calvin Goddard

at Northwestern University, created comparison microscope

2 most important identification techniques

fingerprints and DNA

latent prints vs. latent fingerprints

latent print can be anything (including palms and feet), but latent fingerprint, is specifically fingers

latent

not visible with naked eye

ways to make latent prints visible

alternate light source, chemicals, powders, cyanoacrylate fuming

cyanoacrylate fuming

superglue, preserves and visualizes print

what to use cyanoacrylate fuming on

prints on hard nonporous surfaces

12 steps of processing a crime scene

preparation, approach, secure/protect scene, preliminary survey, evaluate physical evidence possibilities, narrative description, photographs, sketch, detailed search, record/collect evidence, final survey, release scene

CODIS

Combined DNA Index System

how many labs contribute to CODIS

about 200

cases CODIS has helped solve

over 500 thousand

types of prints in CODIS

prints left at scene, people arrested, known offenders

levels of CODIS

local, state, national

wrongfully convicted individuals exonerated with DNA

over 300 in US

TEDAC

Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center

what does TEDAC do

analyze IEDs and compare them/identify people responsible for them

IED

improvised explosive devices

Sir Alec Jeffreys

genetic scientist

biological identification technique before DNA

blood typing

Frye case

science needs to be generally accepted

Daubert case

needs validation, peer review, standards, error rate, and widespread acceptance

6 positions at a crime scene

team leader, photographer, sketch preparer, evidence custodian, evidence recovery, specialist

disciplines

impression evidence, biological evidence, trace evidence, chemical evidence

specialists not found in most labs

entomology, anthropology, odontology, graphics

chain of custody

for each individual piece of evidence, start with who took it from the scene until court (absolutely no gaps)

administrative report

done by team leader, includes all the information

forensic vacuum

for trace evidence, use different ones in different locations to separate what was found where

Lisk/Silva cases

hairs and fibers connected each other and suspect

Locards Exchange Principle

anything that comes in contact with something leaves something and picks something up

microbial forensics

used in anthrax case in 2001

evidence packaging

initial on tape/package, information on package (person, date, case, etc)

electrostatic dust print lifter

lifts dust prints

2 people should be present for

collection of drugs/valuables

known standards

collect from suspect, victim, scene

Lattes

developed procedure to determine blood group

Landsteiner

ABO blood typing system

Galton

fingerprints

Goddard

comparison microscopy in ballistics

Orfila

father of forensic toxicology

Bertillon

22 measurements for identification

Jeffreys

DNA profiling