Forensic Science for High School, Chapter 1

Criminalistics

the examination of physical evidence

evidence

Anything that tends to establish or disprove a fact. evidence can include testimony, documents, and other objects.

Ballistics

the science that deals with the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, most often firearms and bullets.

Odontology

in forensics, examination of bite marks and dental identification of corpses.

Pathology

investigation of sudden, unexplained, or violent death

entomology

study of insects

Palynology

the study of pollen and spores

polygraphy

the use of the "lie detector"

Satutory Law

legislative acts declaring, commanding, or prohibiting something

Common Law

the body of law made up of judicial opinions and precedents

stare decisis

"to stand by the decision," meaning previous legal decisions are to be followed

Civil Law

law that deals with noncriminal suits brought to protect or preserve a civil or private right or matter

Criminal Law

regulation and enforcement of rights, setting the acceptable limits of conduct in society

Misdemeanor

a minor crime, less than a felony, usually punished with a fine or confinement other than in a prison.

Felony

a serious crime, such as murder, punishable by more than one year of imprisonment up to execution

probable cause

situation in which a reasonable and prudent person, viewing the available information, would conclude that a crime has been committed and that the suspect committed it

violation

a breach of a right, duty, or law

infraction

violation of a rule or law that is not punishable by prison

Elements

in criminal law, the specific factors or parts of a crime

booking

a police procedure following arrest that records basic information about the suspect, a photograph, and fingerprints, and perhaps includes a lineup

Miranda Rights/Warning

rights guaranteed by the Constitution that police must tell arrestees about, especially the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney

Arraignment

the first act in a criminal proceeding, where the defendant is brought before the court to hear charges and enter a plea

Bail

money put up to guarantee that the defendant will appear in court as directed. a bondsman pays the bail for a fee of 10 percent of the bail amound. if the defendant does not appear when the time comes, the bondsman may hire bounty hunters to find and return the suspect.

nolo contendere

in a criminal lawsuit, when a defendant neither admits nor denies committing a crime but accepts punishment as though he or she were guilty

preliminary hearing

a hearing before a magistrate or a judge to determine whether a person charged with a crime should be held for trial; also sometimes called preliminary examination

grand jury

a group of people sworn to inquire into a crime and, if appropriate, bring accusations (indictments) against the suspected criminals

indict

to formally accuse a person of a crime

Probative

in evidence law, tending to prove something

material

in evidence law, relevant and significant. A material witness has information about the subject

Hearsay

testimony given by a witness who relates not what he or she heard, saw, or knows personally, but what others have said. the knowledge is dependent on the credibility of the person who first made the statement, and therefore is not admissible in court unless it meets a hearsay exception.

expert witness

a person who is a specialist in a subject that is often technical, who may present his or her expert opinion without actually witnessing any occurrence relating to the case. this is an exception to the rule against giving opinion in a trial, provided that the expert is qualified by his/her expertise, training, and special knowledge.

Frye Standard

commonly called the "general acceptance" test, the Frye standard dictates that scientific evidence is admissible at trial only if the methodology or scientific principle on which the opinion is based is "sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the particular field in which it belongs." The Frye test applies only to "new" or "novel" scientific methodologies.

plea bargaining

an agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor in return drops more serious charges to avoid the cost and time of a trial

Daubert Ruling

Revision of the Frye Standard for admissibility of expert scientific evidence

Junk Science

theories based on distorted, flawed, or untested hypotheses NOT derived from or tested by the scientific method