Forensic Science Exam 1

Covers introduction to forensic science, processing the crime scene, physical evidence, bloodstain pattern analysis, death investigation, and fingerprints.

What is Loccard’s Principle?

Dr. Edmond Loccard concluded that every contact leaves a trace.

What is forensic science?

Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws that are enforced by the police agencies in a criminal justice system.

Describe the development of crime laboratories in the United States.

the development of crime laboratories in the US has been characterized by rapid growth accompanied by a lack of national and regional planning and coordination.

What are the five basic services of technical support provided by crime laboratories?

The physical science unit, the biology unit, the firearms unit, the document unit, and the photography unit.

What are the optional service units that some crime laboratories offer?

Toxicology, fingerprint analysis, voiceprint analysis, crime scene investigation, and polygraph administration.

What is the job of a forensic scientist?

A forensic scientist must be able to apply the principles and techniques of the physical and natural sciences to the analysis of evidence that may be recovered during a criminal investigation.

What is an expert witness?

A witness that evaluates evidence based on specialized training and experience. Must be verified and have scientific validation.

What do forensic scientists train law enforcement personnel in?

The proper recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence.

What did the Frye v. United States decision do for forensic science in the courtroom?

It set guidelines for determining the admissibility of scientific evidence in the courtroom.

What is needed to meet the Frye standard?

The evidence in question must be generally accepted by the scientific community.

What did the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. determine?

The U.S. Supreme court ruled that trail judges were responsible for the admissibility and validity of scientific evidence presented in their courts.

What special forensic services are available to the law enforcement community?

Forensic psychiatry, forensic odontology, and forensic engineering.

What is the difference between forensic science and criminalists?

Who is Edmond Loccard (1877-1966)?

The founder of forensic science

Who is Frances Glessner Lee?

He started the idea of building miniature crime scenes which are still used in training and testing today.

Who is Sara Bisel?

The founder of forensic anthropology, and built the foundation of chemical analysis on skeletal remains.

Who is Henry Lee?

He was a famous forensic scientist who worked cases like OJ Simpson and the assassination of JFK.

Who is Mathieu Orfila (1787-1853)?

A french scientist who is known as the father of forensic technology and published the first scientific treatise on the detection of poisons.

Who is Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914)?

A french criminologist who developed the Bertillonage system using anthropology.

Who is Francis Galton?

He conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification.

What is the Bertillon System?

the use of measuring certain body parts and writing them down on cards to track repeated offenders.

What is the CSI effect?

An unrealistic expectation that a criminal case should always be accompanied by forensic evidence.

What are the disciplines in the National Institute of Justice?

General toxicology, firearms/toolmarks, questioned documents, and trace evidence.

What is the job for the first police officer who arrives at a crime scene?

Acquire medical assistance for injured victims, detain any potential subjects, secure the crime scene, collect statements, and call for any additional personnel needed.

What is the walkthrough?

The initial survey of the crime scene where the perpetrator’s points of entry and exit are located, an search pattern is conducted according to the scene, and obvious items and conditions are observed and documented.

What is the line/strip search pattern?

one or two investigators start at the boundary of the crime scene and search in straight lines across to the other side of the crime scene.

What is a grid search pattern?

Where two or more investigators form a grid by searching in line patterns that overlap and are perpendicular to each other.

What is a spiral search pattern?

One investigator searches in a spiral path from the center of the crime scene to the boundary or from the boundary of the crime scene to the center.

What is the wheel/ray search pattern?

Several investigators will search in straight lines from the center to the boundary or from the boundary to the center.

What is the quadrant/zone search pattern?

The crime scene is divided into smaller zones and one or more investigators are assigned to search each zone.

Explain the use of photography at a crime scene.

A 35 mm SLR camera is most commonly used to take pictures of the scene and evidence.

What is an overview photograph?

The entire scene and the surrounding area is captured. The entry and exit are taken first using various angles and including a visual tag to help place the scene together.

What is a medium range photograph?

Smaller significant areas photographed at the crime scene and taken with evidence markers to show spacial relationships.

What is a close-up photograph?

Ones taken at a 90 degree angle to the object with and without evidence markers and scales.

What should a rough sketch include?

dimensions, location of objects, title block with case information, crime scene, person creating the sketch, legend with identity and dimensions of objects in the sketch, a compass showing north, and body containing the sketch itself.

What should all notes begin with?

The identity of a person who contacted the investigator, the time of contact and arrival at the crime scene, the preliminary case information, and personnel present on arrival and those being contacted.

How should drug evidence be packaged?

A sealable plastic evidence bag, but small traces of evidence can also be packaged in a small piece of paper known as a “druggists fold”.

How sohuld