supa forensics midterm review

Anthropology

Identification and examination of skeletal remains

Ballistics

The science of projectiles and fire arms

Odontology

 Analysis of teeth

Entomology

Study of insects

Toxicology

 The study of the harmful effects of chemicals

Serology

Blood and body fluid analysis

Explosive and Arson investigation

Process used by investigators to determine the cause and origin of a fire or explosion and whether it was accidental or intentional

 Cyber crimes

criminal offenses committed using the internet

Engineering

Reconstruct fires, accident, and explosions to determine causes

Forensic Scienc

Application of the scientific method and techniques to law and criminal justice

Alphonse Bertillion

anthropometry

Francis Galton

fingerprinting

Calvin Goddard

Ballistics

Alexandre Lacasssage

anthropology

Edmond Locard

scientific criminal investigation

Crime writers

Arthur Conan Doyle & Agatha Christie

Arthur Conan Doyle known for

Creator of Sherlock Holmes

Edmond Locard known for

application of scientific techniques to criminal investigations.

-Set up first real forensics lab

Locards exchange principal

contact between two items, there will be an exchange of microscopic material.

Frye standard

The Frye Standard is a rule used in court that says scientific evidence can only be used if it is widely accepted by experts in that field.

Daubert Standard

The Daubert Standard is a rule courts use to decide if scientific evidence is reliable and based on good science, even if it’s new.

The three standards to be admissible in court

Scientific basis- testimony must be based on knowledge attained using scientific methodology.

Relevance- evidence presented must assist judge or jury by being connected to the question at hand,

Judge as gatekeeper- the judge must decide if the 2 prior standards have been met before they will allow the evidence to be admissible. 

Joiner case

The case that set the standard to require that experts limit their opinions to

straightforward extensions of the data and placed limitations on what they can say in court.

Khumo Tire Case

requires Daubert standard in addition to expert opinion (not expert testimony alone).

Anthropometry

detailed system involving the measurement of anatomical features which was once used to identify criminals or victims (not very specific). Replaced by fingerprints

Precedent

legal principle or rule that comes from a court decision that can be used as a point or reference for deciding other cases.

Binding Precedent

a decision from a higher case must be followed by lower courts for similar cases.

Principal of comparison

Similarities and differences between people or evidence.

Principle of individuality

even though two objects may seem indistinguishable, they can never be exactly identical

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree Doctrine

Any evidence found in an illegal search also cannot be used to find other evidence.

Individual evidence

unique evidence to something or someone

Class evidence 

Material that can be associated with a group of items that share properties or characteristics

Processing a crime steps

1. Securing and isolating the scene

2.  record the crime scene

3. Search for evidence

4. Collection and preservation of Evidence

The 4th amendment to the constitution

protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. This means police usually need a warrant (approved by a judge) and a good reason (probable cause) before searching your home, phone, or belongings.

What needs to be written on a warrant? (3 things)

1. Location (person or place)

2. Time (date and amount of time)

3. Reason (ex. Weapons, drugs)

Warrantless Search

A search that occurs through well-established exceptions to the 4th amendment due to probable cause.

Consent

A person allows the search of their premises or property

Search during arrest

Search of the person's pockets or sweep of the premises or car... cant open drawers or glove compartment

Emergency circumstances

If someone is destroying evidence (flushing drugs down the toilet) or alcohol is being processed by the body (breathyzer).

Plain View doctrine

Items in plain view do not fall under 4th amendment restrictions since there is no real expectation of privacy. Any item in plain view can be seized without a warrant.

Border, airport, or sea searches

When there is a danger to the public or a threat has been made. EX: luggage and body scans at the airport.

Stop and frisk

 If an officer suspects a person has a weapon  or to be a threat to the public, the individual can be detained or given a pat down. 

Inventory searches

Officials can search anything which is part of an investigation or arrest. Ex: car or boat

National security

USA patriot Act allows for the monitoring of email messages, medical and financial records and other personal information of anyone who seems to pose a national threat.

Administrative searches

Fire, electric, safety and gas inspectors can conduct searches, but no evidence can be used in court. They can alert authorities that a search warrant is needed.

Mincy V. Arizona

Drug bust which went wrong ,ending in an undercover officer's death. They spent 4 days opening drawers and ripping up carpets without a warrant.

Michigan V. Tyler

Arson case where fire inspectors continually returned to the scene of the crime over a three week period without a warrant.

Latent evidence

cannot be seen without being enhanced

Visible/patent evidence

evidence that can be seen

Impression evidence

leaves a pattern in a pliable substance (paint,mud)

Trace evidence

small and usually examined under a microscope (hairs and fibers)

Tangible evidence

can be held (gun, lipstick case)

Intangible evidence

cannot be held (temperature)

Forensic anthropology

The application of anthropological methods and techniques to legal questions.

Compact bone

dense part of bone made up of a hard matrix (outer bone)

Spongy bone

Porous bony tissue that makes up the inner portion of bone

Cartilage

Tough, flexible, connective tissue often found lining joints (newly forming bone, ear tissue or nose tissue)

Long Bones

- length is greater then width

-arms and legs

Short bones

-about as wide as they are tall

-appear spherical or cubic

-ankle and wrist

Flat bones

-Typically curved and flat

-Protective bones (pelvis and scapula)

-Most red blood cells are produced

Seasamoid bones

Very specialized bones which are embedded within tendons covering a joint.

Irregular Bones

-other bones which are used for protection or support muscle that do not fall into other categories

-hyoid which is usually broken during strangulation

 5 questions for a legal investigation in forensic anthropology

1. Is it bone?

2. Is it a human bone?

3. How old is the bone?

4. Whose bone is it?

5. How did they die?

Osteocyte

bone cell

Macroscopic examination

visual representation of bone size shape and detailed structure

Microscopic examination

Must be used when pieces are too small or broken. A cross section of the sample can be compared under a microscope.

Osteometry

Process of measuring bones and applying correct formula to ethnic population for anthropometric estimates

Which three bones best helps determine sex

1. Pelvic bones

2. Skull

3. Long bones

(*difficult to use these bones before puberty)

Pubis synthesis: more than 90 degrees =

female

Pubis synthesis: less than 90 degrees =

male

Best indicator of age

teeth

Deciduous teeth

20 teeth

Adult teeth

32 teeth

What happens to your teeth at 18

the third set of molars or wisdom teeth emerge

Osteoarthritis

(wearing of the joints) is rare under the age of 40 years.

Caucasoid nose

narrow nasal cavity

Mongoloid nose

shovel shaped incisors

Negroid nose

broader and flatter nasal opening

Overlay process

super imposes a picture of the skull with a living picture of the suspected person

2d facial reconstruction

places tissue markers on the skull and have an artist draw a composition consistent with the skull and a known photo of the suspected victim

3D facial reconstruction

Place tissue markers on the skull and build the face with clay or use computer imaging programs.

Antemortem

before death

Perimortem

at the time of death

Postmortem

after death

Taphonomy

the study of what happens to an organism postmortem

Blunt force trauma(BFT)

Strikes with sufficient force to cause physiological damage

Personal assault

can utilize a fist or foot

Leveraged assault

can utilize a baseball bat or chair

Massive assault

can manipulate a car or plane crash

Gunshot assault

 utilizes bullet to damage bone

Sharp force trauma

Attack with a knife or other sharp item resulting in bone chipping, scoring or scraping.

Broken bones at different stages of healing indicates

long term abuse

Broken hyoid bone indicates

strangulation

Gunshot wound to skull or massive cranial fracture are strong indicators of

murders

Who is the last word on cause of death

The coroner

Autopsy

A postmortem examination of a body in an a lean the cause and manner of death

Medical examiner

A physician who investigates death to determine cause and manner of death

Pathologist

one who studies diseases and how they change or harm tissue

Coroner

an official whose primary function is to investigate deaths

(usually elected and does not require medical training)

Manner of death

A legal determination of death which classifies the intent or series of events which brought about death