unit 7: introduction to forensics practice problems

forensic science is the application to:

both civil and criminal laws

which of the following would not be included in the work of the biology unit of a crime lab

* blood typing
* comparison of hairs
* dna profiling
* fingerprint analysis

fingerprint analysis

an expert witness must be able to demonstrate:

a formal degree in an appropriate field

the scientific method requires that scientific evidence be validated by what means?

* formulating pertinent questions
* formulating hypotheticals
* performing experiments
* all of the above

all of the above

which of the following services does not normally lie within the expertise of the forensic scientist?

* drug identification
* wood comparisons
* document examination
* polygraph examination

polygraph examination

the dramatization of forensic science on television has led to a phenomenon known as what?

csi effect

the lay witness provides testimony that relies on what?

personal knowledge

it is the responsibility of the forensic investigator to determine innocence or guilty

false

the current system of crime laboratories in the united states is decentralized

true

one major problem in the forensic dna community is the backlog of unanalyzed dna samples

true

physical evidence is subject to bias

false

the effectiveness of an expert’s testimony does not usually depend on the educational background of the expert

false

locard’s exchange principle states that, whenever two objects come into contact with one another, there is exchange of materials between them

true

providing expert testimony is not one of the main functions of a forensic scientist

false

list the three basic functions of a forensic scientist

* analyzing physical evidence
* providing expert testimony
* furnishing training in the proper recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence