Forensics sem 2 (Real)

Forgery

False writing or alteration of a document with intent to defraud

Fraud

Intentional deception for personal gain

Exemplars

Known handwriting samples used for comparison

Line quality

Smoothness and continuity of handwriting strokes

Counterfeit currency

Fake money made to imitate real currency

Document analyst

Expert who examines questioned documents

Daubert Standard

Standard requiring expert testimony to be scientifically valid and reliable

What did the Daubert standard establish about expert testimony?

Expert testimony must be based on reliable scientific methods and evidence

How can mood affect handwriting?

Stress, fatigue, anger, or excitement can change handwriting style and pressure

What does “line quality” mean in handwriting analysis?

The smoothness, flow, and consistency of pen strokes

What is the final step in handwriting analysis?

Reaching a conclusion about whether the writings match

What changes has the Bureau of Engraving and Printing made to U.S. currency?

Added security features such as watermarks, color-shifting ink, security threads, and microprinting

List three handwriting characteristics investigators compare

Letter formation, slant, spacing, pressure, line quality, or connecting strokes

Why are expert document examiners important in criminal investigations?

They help identify forged documents, verify handwriting, and connect suspects to crimes

Tread pattern

Design on the sole of a shoe or tire

Latent impression

Hidden print or impression not visible without processing

Footwear evidence

Shoe impressions or prints left at a crime scene

Plastic impression

Three-dimensional impression left in a soft material like mud or snow

Electrostatic lifting

Method using static electricity to collect dust impressions

Gait

A person’s walking pattern

How can gait help investigators?

Gait can identify or distinguish a suspect based on walking style and movement

Why should latent impressions be photographed immediately?

They can fade, be destroyed, or altered quickly

What type of lifting technique is best for uneven surfaces?

Casting methods such as dental stone casting

Why is footwear evidence often considered class evidence?

Many shoes share the same tread design and size

Describe how investigators collect footwear impressions

They photograph, cast, dust, or electrostatically lift the impressions for comparison

Tool mark

Mark left by a tool contacting another surface

Abrasion mark

Mark caused by scraping or sliding

Indentation mark

Mark caused by pressure into a softer surface

Striations

Tiny parallel scratches left by a tool

Comparison microscope

Microscope used to compare two objects side by side

Circumstantial evidence

Evidence that suggests a fact indirectly

How can manufacturing irregularities make tools unique?

Small defects from manufacturing or wear create unique markings

What are indentation marks usually caused by?

Pressure from a tool pressed into a softer material

What should investigators conclude if a suspect tool does not match evidence?

The tool likely did not make the mark

How are comparison microscopes used?

They allow examiners to compare evidence and suspect tools at the same time

What creates abrasion marks?

Scraping or sliding contact between a tool and a surface

Why are fingerprints and serial numbers considered circumstantial evidence?

They indirectly connect a person or object to a crime

Describe how tool marks can connect a suspect to a crime

Unique marks from a suspect’s tool can match marks found at the scene

Why is tool mark evidence sometimes challenged in court?

Because interpretation can be subjective and may lack consistent scientific standards

Cause of death

The reason a person died

Rigor mortis

Stiffening of muscles after death

Livor mortis

Settling of blood in the body after death

Algor mortis

Cooling of the body after death

Putrefaction

Decomposition of body tissues by bacteria

Autopsy

Examination of a body after death

Forensic autopsy

Autopsy performed to determine cause and manner of death

When does rigor mortis usually begin?

Usually within 2–6 hours after death

When does lividity become fixed?

About 8–12 hours after death

What happens during putrefaction?

Bacteria break down tissues, causing discoloration, odor, and gas buildup

Under what conditions do bodies decompose fastest?

Warm, moist, oxygen-rich environments

What should investigators focus on first at a crime scene?

Preserving the scene and documenting evidence

What is the purpose of a forensic autopsy?

To determine cause, manner, and time of death

Explain how body temperature helps estimate time of death

The body cools at a predictable rate after death, helping estimate the postmortem interval

Epiphyseal plate

Growth plate at the ends of long bones

NAGPRA

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

Prognathism

Forward projection of the jaw

Perimortem injury

Injury occurring at or around the time of death

What information can forensic anthropologists determine from skeletal remains?

Age, sex, ancestry, height, injuries, and sometimes cause of death

How can isotope ratio analysis help investigators?

It can indicate where a person lived or traveled based on diet and water sources

Describe characteristics of the female pelvis

Female pelvis is wider, shallower, and adapted for childbirth

Explain how bones can help estimate age and sex

Bone growth, fusion, shape, and size differ by age and biological sex

Explain how isotope analysis can reveal where a person lived

Isotopes from local food and water become stored in bones and teeth

Pollen

Tiny reproductive grains produced by seed plants

Spores

Reproductive cells produced by fungi and non-seed plants

Geographic distribution

Area where a species naturally occurs

How can pollen help determine the location of a crime?

Different plants grow in specific areas, so pollen can link evidence to a location

How can pollen help determine the time of year a crime occurred?

Certain plants release pollen only during specific seasons

Why was pollen evidence important in identifying the season of death in the case study?

The pollen type matched plants blooming during a particular season

TD-DART-MS

Technique using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry to identify substances quickly

Capillary electrophoresis

Method separating substances using electric charge in a thin tube

Controlled substances

Drugs regulated by law because of abuse potential

Narcotics

Drugs that relieve pain and may cause dependence

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception and mood

Heavy metals

Toxic metallic elements such as lead, arsenic, or mercury

Explain the difference between toxins and poisons

Toxins are poisons produced naturally by organisms, while poisons can be any harmful substance

Compare legal narcotics and illicit drugs

Legal narcotics are medically prescribed, while illicit drugs are illegal to possess or use

Describe how toxicologists identify drugs in the body

They analyze blood, urine, hair, or tissues using chemical testing methods

What is ricin?

A highly toxic poison derived from castor beans

Which evidence is best for identifying long-term drug exposure?

Hair samples

Explain the difference between acute poisoning and chronic poisoning

Acute poisoning results from short-term exposure, while chronic poisoning develops over long-term exposure