Unit 1- intro to Forensics

Module 1 - Intro to Forensic Science - Study Guide

• Define & distinguish between forensic science and criminalistics.- Same idea, criminalistics is a sub-group of forensic science.

  Role of forensic scientist - Collect, preserve, and analyze scientific evidence during an investigation.

  Know the three major fields of science used in forensics: biology, chemistry, physics

• Recognize major contributors to the development of forensic science. - Bertillon, Galton, Lattes, Gossard, Osborn, and Locard

  • History Timeline

    Know these people:

    Orfilia- developed test for the presence of blood “father of toxicology”

    Henry Goddard- First to use a physical analysis; connect a bullet to a murder weapon.

    Doyle- Created Sherlock Holmes; and studied medicine.

    Bertillon- Systemic use of photography in a crime scene; the Bertillion system: 30 years. Developed mugshot.

    Galton- 1st to apply statistical method; differences of people.

    Gross - Australian criminologist; “father of criminal psychology”

    Locard- “every contact leaves a trace”; Locars exchange principle.

    Osborn - “Father of the Question Documents”. Fundamental principles of document examination; published “Questioned Documents”.

    Lattes- 1st to develop a test for AB blood groups.

    Pitchfork- English child murderer/rapist; 1st person to be convicted.

    • Know these databases:

      CODIS - Created by FBI; Combined DNA index system. Allows the state to put criminals in the system.

      IAFIS- Created by FBI; Integrated automated Fingerprint Information Network. Keeps record of all fingerprints

      NIBIN- Created by ATF; National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. Captures and compares ballistic enforcement.

      Eurodac- To process asylum cases better and prevent shopping. Public regulation is global for people who cross the border.

• Account for the rapid growth of forensic laboratories in the past 40 years.

• Know how a courtroom is set up, and the roles of the people in the courtroom- 12 jurors plus 2 alternates or more based on the case. Defense and prosecution (types of attorneys). The judge acts like a referee. The prosecution, defense, and judge are in charge of informing the jury.

• What is the CSI Effect? - The belief that jurors have come to demand more forensic evidence in criminal trials, thereby raising the effective standard of proof for prosecutors.

  • Who is responsible for educating the jury? - The prosecution, defense, and judge are in charge of informing the jury.

• Who determines what evidence is admissible in court? - The judge

  • What standards do they use to determine admissibility? - Daubert and Frye

  • Compare and contrast the Frye and Daubert decisions relating to the admissibility of scientific evidence. - Frye relies on the scientific community to determine reliability whereas Daubert relies on the scientific savvy of trial judges to determine the significance of the methodology used. Daubert - tested, peer review, error rate, standards, acceptance.

• Explain the role and responsibilities of the expert witness. - Forensic scientists; May need to testify in court, and prove to the judge they’re telling the truth, acquired from experience, education, training, or all, the testimony must be factual, and should not advocate for one party's cause.

• Understand specialized forensic services that are generally available to law enforcement.

  • Criminalistics - scientific test of techniques for the detection of crime.

  • Digital and multimedia - Stored evidence.

  • Engineering - Develop equipment that may not exist yet.

  • Jurisprudence - Study of law.

  • Odontology - Study of teeth.

  • Pathology- Study of the dead (autopsy).

  • Anthropology- Study of bones

  • Psychiatry- Mental health

  • Questioned Documents - Will checks, notes, etc…

  • Toxicology - Study of toxins (such as drugs).

• Who is Edmond Locard? - French criminologist/created the first crime lab.

  • What does Locard’s Exchange Principle say about evidence? Says that every contact leaves a trace.

• What is the scientific method and why is it used in forensic science? The process of objectively establishing facts through testing and experimentation. Used in forensics to learn how to ask questions. Observation, question, hypothesis, experimentation, analysis, conclusion.

  • Be able to define and distinguish between the independent vs dependent variables, and experimental vs control groups.

    Independent variable- Manipulated or changed

    Dependent variable- observed or measured

    Experimental group- what we are preforming the experiment on

    Control group- what we are comparing our experiment to; not experimented on.