Forensic Science Review Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards derived from forensic science lecture notes covering key historical figures, federal and state law enforcement agencies, types of law, relevant Bill of Rights amendments, forensic specialties, microscope components, and the Locard Exchange Principle.

Orfila

"Father of Toxicology" and Pioneered Forensics.

Gross

Scientific principles of criminal investigation.

Goddard

Developed comparison microscopes for bullets.

Bertillion

"Father of criminal investigation" who developed anthropology.

Landsteiner

ABO blood.

Doyle

Published Sherlock Holmes, the First CSI novel.

Galton

Studied finger prints/classifications of their uniqueness and published Finger Prints.

Locard

Founder and director of Criminalistics at the university of Lyons,France known for the cross exchange principal.

FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation; handles blood work/DNA, crimes crossing state lines, and kidnappings.

DEA

Drug Enforcement Administration; handles the identification of drugs.

ATF

Alcohol Tobacco Firearms; investigates and prevents federal offenses involving firearms, explosives, arson, bombings, and the illegal trafficking of alcohol and tobacco.

USPIS

United States Postal Investigation Service; handles mail fraud and mailed crimes (ie. Death threats, bombs, ect).

GBI

Georgia Bureau of Investigation; an independent, statewide agency that supports the state's criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services and computerized criminal justice information.

Statutory Law

Written law passed by a legislative body, such as the U.S. Congress or a state legislature. It commands, prohibits, or declares something, distinct from judge-made common law.

Criminal Law

The body of rules that defines crimes, sets punishment for wrongdoers, and handles offenses viewed as harms against the whole public or state.

Civil Law

A branch of law that deals with private rights, non-criminal disputes, and the resolution of conflicts between individuals, businesses, or government entities.

Amendment 1

Freedom of press, assembly, protest and speech.

Amendment 2

Right to keep and bear arms.

Amendment 3

No quartering soldiers in times of peace.

Amendment 4

Freedom from any unwarranted searches.

Amendment 5

No holding someone imprisoned without reason.

Amendment 6

Rights to accused people.

Amendment 7

Trial by jury.

Amendment 8

No excessive or cruel punishments.

Amendment 9

More than just written rights.

Amendment 10

Anything not given to the state or federal government in the constitution belong to the people.

Anthropology (Forensics)

The study of human measurements and how it could be used to identify victims.

Toxicology (Forensics)

The study of how poisons and other harmful substances affect living things.

Serology

Measurement of antibodies in bodily fluids such as blood.

Psychiatry (Forensics)

To see if the suspect is mentally fit to stand trial.

Odontology

The study of teeth and how it leads to victim identification.

Forensic Pathology

Specialty that performs autopsies and helps determine cause of death.

Eyepiece

The part you look through showing you the sample.

Objective Lenses

The part that magnifies the sample.

Diaphragm

Changes how much Light passes through to the sample.

Coarse Adjustment

Large adjustments to focus the sample.

Fine Adjustment

Changes the magnification on the sample slightly.

Stage

The part where the slide rests.

Total Magnification (Compound Light Microscope)

Determined by adding the magnification on the eyepiece and the objective lense.

Locard Exchange Principle

The idea that every place you go you leave a trace.

Trace Evidence Examples (Locard Exchange Principle)

Suspects, victims, and crime scenes.