Forensics at a Glance

Forensics

The business of applying science to solve criminal and civil crimes

When was phrenology discovered

1796

Who phrenology discovered by?

Dr. Franz Gall

Phrenology

pseudo-science; looked at prominent bumps on skull

When was Bertillon system made?

1879

Bertillon system

cataloged criminal’s physical traits

Who made the bertillon system?

Alphonse Bertillon

When did the US adopt the Bertillon system?

in NYC in 1910

When was Sherlock Holmes?

1880

Who created Sherlock Holmes?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

What did Francis Galton do?

in 1892, he developed first fingerprint system by identifying patterns and match points

What did Karl Landsteiner do?

in 1901

• first to identify human blood groups

• identified Rh factor (+ or -)

• Nobel prize in 1930 for work

What did Edmond Locard do?

in 1904, French publication coined the phrase: “Every contact leaves a trace”

Established first police crime lab in 1910

What dids Albert S. Psborne do in 1910?

nPublished Questioned Documents in 1910

nFirst to establish principles for document analysis

What is used to see indentations in paper?

electro-static detection

What do shaky lines indicate?

forged signature

what happened in 1932?

FBI crime lab

Who is the most famous director of FBI?

J Edgar Hoover in 1953

What did J. Edgar Hoover do?

Proactive in offering FBI services to all law enforcement agencies

• also received critical publicity during Kennedy assassination

What did Calvin Goddard do?

in the 1920s:

• Invented the comparison microscope

• Refined techniques for bullet comparisons

  Left: Often considered the

  “Father of Modern Ballistics” , Goddard matched bullets to the gun it was fired from by comparing striation markings

FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation - largest crime lab in the world

DEA

Drug Enforcement Administration - analyzes drugs seized in violation of Federal laws

ATF

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms - analyzes alcohol and documents relating to tax law and examines weapons and firearms

U.S Postal Inspection Service

any crimes related to the postal service

State and Local crime labs

part of the federal system

Fyre vs the United States

in 1923, polygraph was ruled inadmissible

• Based on the concept of general acceptance by the scientific community

• In this case, it was NOT accepted

When Federal Rules of Evidence enacted and what were they?

in 1975 and evidence must have relevancy to the case

People vs Pestinikas

in 1986, First time DNA was used in a court of law

New York vs Castro

in 1987, First time DNA was seriously challenged, calling for:

• certification-

• Standardization

• quality control

Daubert vs Merrell Dow

in 1993:

• Landmark ruling, revoking the Frye Standard

• made the Judge a “gate-keeper” for admission of scientific evidence

Tennessee vs Ware

Mitochondrial DNA admitted for first time

4th amendment

The right to remain secure in their own house and NO WARRANT shall be issued but upon probable cause

Reasons for warrantless search

• Emergency circumstances (ex.?)

• Prevent immediate loss of evidence (ex.?)

• After arrest, IF person is present

• Consent of parties involved

5th amendment

“You have the right to remain silent…” The right against self-incrimination

“Miranda Rights”

First Officer on the Scene

Assess the scene

Detain and witnesses

Apprehend perpetrator (if any)

Protect the scene

Take notes

Algor mortis

Temperature of death

• 2 deg/hr for the first 12 hrs

• 1 deg/hr every hour after (13 hrs +)

Rigor Mortis

(stiffness of death)

Lactic Acid, shifts body to basic state

• 1-12 hours, begins to stiffen

• 12-24 hours, completely stiff

• 24-36 hours goes limp again

Livor Mortis

discoloration of death

• purplish red

  discoloration evident on

  back of victim; blanching

  is done to determine

  that lividity is not

  permanent. Conclusion?

  Body has been dead less

  then 15 hrs.