Forensic Science: Key Concepts, Roles, and Laboratory Techniques

Forensic Science

The application of science to LAW

Types of cases forensic science deals with

Death, rape, forgeries, fraud, negligence, assault, kidnapping

Forensic science does not solve crime

Investigators solve crimes and find information

The crowner system

The coroner's inquest

Original coroner's job

To investigate death and record keeper until judge arrived

Coroner's role in tax generation

Whole thing was made into a big tax generation for more money for crusades

Jurors in the coroner's inquest

Jurors used to be witness and a juror

Legal medicine

Became a thing in 1807

Expert Witness

The only witness in a court case allowed to give opinion on their specialty

Coroner vs Medical Examiner

Coroner is elected; Medical examiner is appointed

Medical examiner position start date

Started in 1877, usually physicians specializing in forensic science

Medical Examiner Staff

Includes forensic investigators, autopsy technicians, pathologist, histologist, legal photographer, supplemental/secretarial

Division of laboratories

Includes toxicology, trace evidence, serology, fingerprinting, ballistics

Forensic Odontology

Identification through bite marks

Neuropathology

Study of the brain; shows trauma

Forensic Anthropology

Study of bones

Forensic Engineering

Responsible for technically sound answers to what happened, why it happened

Forensic Entomology

Study of bugs; prefers live bugs

Reportable death

A death that occurs under suspicious circumstances

Types of bodies

Operative, preoperative, post operative

Courses reported to the Medical Examiner

Includes all hospital deaths from accidental trauma, unidentified or unclaimed bodies, and all jail deaths

Cause of death

What is on your death certificate

Manner of death

Natural, Homicide, suicide, accident, pending, undetermined

Open to public records

Includes name, age, cause and manner of death, location of incident

Next of kin

Executor, spouse, children, parents, siblings

Disposition of unclaimed bodies

No one is financially responsible for NOK; cremation options include common grave, paupers grave

Organ donor requirements

Must be brain dead; lungs and hearts must be working

Time of death

The time found and pronounced dead

Toxicology samples

Includes urine, blood, bile, vitreous fluid, spinal fluid