Criminalistics Chapter 1 (TEST REVIEW)

god just put me down already

What is forensic sceince?

The application of science to criminal and civil laws.

Who does Forensic science owes it origins to?

Bertillon, Galton, Lattes, Goddard, Osborn, and Locard.

What did Locard develop?

developed the principles and techniques needed to identify or compare physical evidence.

Who is Mathieu Orfila?

The father of forensic toxicology

What did Alphonse Bertillion do?

He devised the first scientific system of personal identification in 1879.

What did Francis Galton do?

He conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classifcation

What did Leone Lattes do?

he developed a procedure to determine blood type from dried bloodstains.

What did Calvin Goddard do?

he used a comparison microscope to determine if a particular gun fired a bullet

What did Albert Osborn do?

Developed the fundamental principals of document examination. (Considered the father of document examination)

What did Walter McCrone do?

Utilized microscopy and other analytical methodologies to examine evidence. 

What did Hans Gross do?

Wrote the first treatise describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation.

What did Edmond Locard do?

Incorporated Gross’ principles within a workable crime laboratory.

What is Locard´s exchange principle?

when a criminal comes in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of evidence occurs.

What is causing the increasing number of crime laboratories?

-Supreme Court decisions in the 1960´s which had police placing greater emphasis on scientifically evaluated evidence.

-Crime laboratories being overwhelmed with drug specimens due to accelerated drug abuse

-The creation of DNA profiling. 

How has development of crime laboratories in the United States been characterized?

Rapid growth with a lack of national and regional planning and coordination.

Who has the largest crime lab?

FBI

What levels of government do crime laboratories operate in?

Federal, state, county, and municipal. (approx 411-600 now)

Technical support by criminal laboratories are what FIVE basic services?

-Physical Science Unit

-Biology Unit

-Firearms Unit

-Document Unit

-Photographic Unit

What are some optional services by Full-Service Labs? (hint: its five again)

-Toxicology Unit

-Latent Fingerprint Unit

-Polygraph Unit

-Voiceprint Analysis Unit

-Evidence-Collection Unit

What does the Physical Science Unit do?

It incorporates the principles of chemistry, physics, and geology to identify and compare physical evidence.

What does the Biology Unit do?

Applies the knowledge of biological sciences in the order to investigate blood samples, body fluids, hair, and fiber samples

What does the Firearms Unit do?

they investigate discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition.

What does the Document Unit do?

They provide the skills needed for handwriting analysis and other questioned-document issues. 

What does the Photographic Unit do?

It applies specialized photographic techniques for recording and examining physical evidence. 

What does the Toxicology Unit do?

examines body fluids and organs for the presence of drugs and poisons.

What does the Latent Fingerprint Unit do?

processes and examines evidence for latent fingerprints.

What does the Polygraph Unit do?

conducts polygraph or lie detector tests.

What does the Voiceprint Analysis Unit do?

attempts to tie a recorded voice to a particular suspect.

What does the Evidence-Collection Unit do?

dispatches specially trained personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence.

What are the steps of the Scientific Method?

-formulate a question worthy of investigation

-formulate a reasonable hypothesis to answer the question.

-Test the hypothesis through experimentation

-Upon validation of the hypothesis, it becomes suitable as scientific evidence.

What skills should a forensic scientist have?

they must be skilled in applying the principles and techniques of the physical and natural sciences to the analysis of the many types of evidence that may recovered during a criminal investigation

Can a forensic scientist provide expert court testimony?

yes

What is a expert witness?

it´s a individual whom the court determines possesses knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average person. 

What is a expert witness called on for?

To evaluate evidence based on specialized training and experience that the court lacks the expertise to do. They will then express an opinion as to the significance of the findings.

What case caused the necessity for a forensic scientist to appear in court?

By the Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts.

What did the Frye v. United States decision set?

guidelines for determining admissibility of scientific evidence into the court room.

How do you meet the Frye standard?

the evidence in question must be ¨generally accepted¨ by the sce

What Supreme Court cased asserted that the Frye standard was not an absolute prerequisite to the admissibility of scientific evidence?

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical 

What are Trial judges and what are their purpose?

The one´s to be ¨gatekeepers¨ for the admissibility and validity of scientific evidence presented in their courts, as well as all expert testimony.

What is the Daubert Critera? (1-5)

1. Whether the scientific technique or theory can be (and has been) tested.

2. Whether the technique or theory has been subject to peer review and publication

3. The technique´s potential rate of error.

4. Existence and maintenance of standards controlling the techniques operation.

5. Whether the scientific theory or methods has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community.

What Special Forensic Science Services are available to law enforcement to use as a service in the crime laboratory?

-Forensic psychiatry, forensic odontology, computer science, forensic engineering.

What is Forensic Psychiatry?

an area in which the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined.

What is Forensic Odontology?

involves using teeth to provide information about the identification of victims when a body is left in an unrecognizable state, also investigates bite marks.

What is Forensic Engineering?

Concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions. 

What is Forensic Computer Science?

involves the examination of digital evidence.

What are Evidence Technicians?

They are people trained by the crime lab staff on a 24 hour call for evidence collection at crime scenes.

Why do Evidence Technicians get trained?

it ensures all pertinent evidence will be recognized and collected properly.

If there is no formal training, what can be done?

Familiarity can be gained through lectures, tours of the lab, and evidence collection manuals.

What does the Document Unit do?

provides the skills needed for handwriting analysis and other questioned document issues.

What does the Photographic Unit do?

applies specialized photographic techniques for recording and examining physical evidence.