FIS Exam 1 by Arianna Chambers

What a forensic scientist does, what are the duties of a forensic scientist?

Performing scientific analysis of evidence and offering expert testimony in legal proceedings, understand methods and requirements of good science, must have knowledge of specific techniques used in particular disciplines, be familiar with the rules of evidence and court procedures, knowledge, skills, and aptitudes are gained through education, training and experience

What is forensic science?

The application of science to matters involving the criminal and civil justice systems and court; Root of the word forensic is forum which means "public"

Bertillonage

A set of precise measuring instruments were used to measuring various features of the face; ended because multiple people had the same name and facial features

19th Century Identification

A Fingerprint Classification System

20th Century Identification

The study of blood, DNA, and bodily fluids

Criminalistics

Physical evidence obtained from crime scenes

Pathology/Biology

Physicians who determine cause and manner of death

Odontology

Forensic dentistry

Anthropology

Analysis of skeletal remains

Jurisprudence

Application of forensic science to the law

Questioned Documents

Authentication of written documents, moneys, identification cards

Forensic Nursing Science

Forensic nurses apply scientific expertise, technical assistance, medicolegal education, and research pertaining to the consequences of human violence and social justice

Engineering Sciences

structural failure, accident reconstruction

Toxicology

drugs and poisons in the body, aids the pathologist

Psychiatry and Behavioral Science

polygraph, psychological crime scene investigation, psychological profiling

Digital and Multimedia Sciences

study digital and multimedia evidence

General

includes crime science investigators, forensic vets, educators, forensic entomologist

American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS)

Developed a code of ethics followed by most forensic science laboratories and scientists

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Develops reference standards, give machines

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Develop standards, procedures and protocols that make sure things work

ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)

accredit the forensic labs

Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)

accredits college forensic programs

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC)

Provide standards for how things are supposed to be reported

The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD)

Board of directors of the labs

American Board of Criminalistics (ABC)

Accredits forensic scientists

How are crime scenes documented and analyzed?

Photographs (with multiple scales and view), measurements, drawings, evidence collection, case number, directional north, and date

Who does the examination of crime scenes and what are their duties?

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), to obtain every possible piece of evidence

What is the purpose of the chain of custody document?

Documents the movement of evidence from the time it is obtained to the time it is presented in court

What is the purpose of the safety data sheet document?

to provide information on the hazards of working with a chemical and procedures that should be used to ensure safety

Define Public Forensic Laboratory, with an example.

Owned and operated by various government agencies, funded through tax dollars, perform multiple types of services, service to state prosecutors, police officers, and detectives; ex: Marion County Forensic Services Agency

Define Private Forensic Laboratory, with an example.

Independently owned and operated, perform only one or two types of services, private consultant, and service to the public; ex: Strand Laboratories

What are the most common analytical sections found in most public forensic main branch laboratories?

Photography, Biology/DNA, Chemistry/Illicit Drugs, Firearms, Toolmarks, Footwear, Tire Treads, Friction Ridge Analysis, Questioned Documents, Toxicology, and Trace Evidence

What sections are found in specialist laboratories and private labs?

Evidence that is not from a crime scene

What government agencies have forensic laboratories?

The Department of Justice, The Department of the Treasury, The Department of the Interior, and The U.S. Postal Service

When can a forensic scientist be confronted with ethical issues?

When personal and professional conduct must contradicts the academy's interests and purposes, misrepresenting education, training, experience, area of expertise, or data used for the basis of an expert opinion, and issuing public statements on behalf of the academy

What is quality assurance with examples?

A set of processes that can evaluate a laboratory and its personnel to determine if they are achieving or maintaining a given level of quality; ex: Accreditation of Laboratories-voluntary and Certification of Forensic Scientists-voluntary

What is quality control with examples?

A set of processes and procedures put in place in a laboratory to be followed by personnel so that a desired level of quality can be achieved; ex: Quality manuals, written procedures, and quality control officer

What are types of bias forensic scientists might be exposed to?

Contextual Bias and Confirmation Bias

What is Locard's principle?

With contact between two items, there will be an exchange even if it is not visible

A false positive sample

positive results when the test should be negative

A false negative sample

negative results that should signify a positive result

A positive control sample

a substance that is expected to respond positively to the test

Failure to run a positive control leads to what type of outcome?

Type II error, a person could be falsely exonerated

A negative control sample

a substance that is a known substance or material that would be expected to yield a negative result to a particular test

Failure to run a negative control leads to what type of outcome?

Type I error, a person could be falsely accused

A known sample

Knowing where evidence came from/what it is; ex: blood from victim

A questioned/unkown sample

Not knowing where evidence came from/what it is; ex: blood from carpet

Physical Evidence

consists of objects or things

Non-physical Evidence

verbal testimony about a crime or someone's actions during a crime

Real Evidence

generated by criminal activity and found at crime scene or obtained from suspect; ex: gun, drugs, blood

Demonstrative Evidence

Created to help explain or clarify real evidence; ex: 3-D scale, drawing, diagram, and charts from analytical instrument

Individual Evidence

a sufficient quantity of characteristics specific to a piece of evidence that allows inference it came from one source; ex: fingerprint

Class Evidence

characteristics of evidence that allow the inference the evidence may have come from several sources; ex: Carpet fiber

Presumptive Test

Permits only qualified conclusion, done to give you an idea of what you might have, only requires a small amount of material, and false positives may result

Confirmatory Test

Permits definitive conclusion, confirms the identity of a substance and is used in a court of law, requires a large amount of material, and will only react positively to the substance

Who makes decisions on validity of evidence and who decides when expert testimony is needed?

The Judge, court, and jury

What is the admissibility of evidence?

governed by a number of rules that determine what evidence may be admitted and under what conditions; is admissible if it is relevant and competent

Relevance

Materiality: applies to the case which is being tried and not another case in which a similar issue or analysis was being decided or considered

Probativeness: determined by whether the demonstrative evidence makes the issues under discussion more or less probable than if the evidence was not present.

Competence

Passes constitutional restraints, does not violate other laws or rules, discovery, follow the 4th amendment and 1st amendment, and Hearsay and Privileges

Frye vs. US

Frye appealed his conviction for second degree murder to use a "systolic blood pressure deception test,". The court denied.

Outcome: General Acceptance

Daubert vs. Merrell Dow

The sueing of Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. claiming that the drug Bendectin had caused the birth defects, using statistics. Court ruled that the judge decides when novel scientific evidence is admissible and that the Frye ruling was not the proper standard of admissibility of technical evidence.

Kumho Tire v. Carmichael

Suit against tire maker for defective tire, plaintiff used tire failure analysis expert, and court excludes expert's testimony but rules that Daubert covers technical as well as scientific evidence

Turner vs. Indiana

Indiana case that tested Daubert, allows for a more open stance on scientific evidence, and less restrictive

GE vs. Joiner

Joiner claims cancer caused by exposure to PCB's at work and sues employer, Federal District court excludes Joiner experts' testimony on grounds of unreliability, Joiner appeals, and Supreme Court affirms gatekeeper role of judge from Daubert

"Forensic" is derived from the Latin word?

Forum

True or false: DNA evidence is included in criminalistics.

True

The earliest recorded activities that are considered to be the forerunner of forensic science were in the area of?

Medicine

Which of the following is true of forensic scientists who work in a crime lab?

When testifying in court, they are considered to be expert witnesses.

True or false: A person accused of a crime has access to the services of a public forensic crime laboratory.

False

What type of laboratory would analysis of specialized evidence, such as entomology, be done?

University Forensic Laboratory

The purpose of the Code of Ethics in the forensic sciences is to?

provide standards for professional behavior

During the process of a crime scene, what is the a fixed reference point for all three-dimensional measurements?

Datum

The Chain of __________ is the single most important piece of paper generated at a crime scene.

Custody

Can it be individualized: A large piece of glass to a broken pane of window glass

Yes by a fracture or tear match

Can it be individualized: A bullet fired from a rifled weapon to a bullet found at the crime scene

Yes by a test based on pattern matching

Can it be individualized: A fingerprint to a specific person

Yes by a test based on pattern matching

Can it be individualized: A single fiber to a sweater

No

Which is not a preliminary consideration taken before analysis of evidence?

Who the results of the analysis will benefit

Which federal rule of evidence allows expert witnesses to make statements in the form of an opinion or otherwise?

FRE 703