Introduction to Forensic Science

Admin Info: Instructor Dr. Bridge; email through Webcourses only.
Course Design: Not a typical intro course; focus on student presentations, weekly operational scientist presentations, quizzes, writing assignments, midterm, and final.
Presentations: Guest presenters; take notes (quiz questions from notes); NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO.
Online Quizzes: Available Wednesdays (12:00 pm) due Sundays (11:59 pm); ~5 questions from last presenter, ~5 from reading.
Mid-Term Exam: Online, multiple-choice; covers lectures, readings, ethics.
Final Exam: Online; explain a forensic concept (250-300 words) using two ACS-style scientific articles; for Discipline Supervisor or Grand Jury.
Librarian and Referencing: Sandy Avila, UCF Librarian; use ACS Style Guide for citations.

Forensic Science (Criminalistics): Applies science and technology to enforce civil & criminal laws; vague as it covers many scientific areas.
CSI Effect: Misconception that forensic science is simple and perfect.

Civil Law: Filed by private party; penalty is monetary payment.
Criminal Law: Filed by Government; penalty is incarceration, fines, or execution.
Crimes: Misdemeanors (<1 ext{ year}), Felonies ( $1+ ext{ years}$ ).

Pioneers: Orfila ("Father of Toxicology"), Conan Doyle (popularized), Galton ("Father of Fingerprinting"), Bertillon ("Father of Anthropometry"), Balthazard (advanced fingerprint/firearm analysis), Lattes ("Father of Bloodstain ID"), Goddard ("Father of Ballistics" - St. Valentine’s Day Massacre case), Osborn ("Father of Document Examination"), Locard ("Father of the Crime Lab" - Locard’s Exchange Principle: “Every Contact Leaves a Trace”), Hoover (FBI Lab), McCrone ("Father of Microscopic Forensics").
DNA: Rosalind Franklin, Watson & Crick (3D double helix).
Forensic Lubricants: Blackledge and Cabiness (US Army), Dr. Bridge (First Sexual Lubricant Database).

Labs interact with Responding Officers, Detectives, Forensic Scientists, Lawyers, and Jury.
Role separation: Impartial interpretation of evidence.

Applications: Establishing facts, identifying criminals/victims, solving mysteries, cold cases, cause/time of death, paternity, cyber/corporate crimes, voice analysis, DNA evidence, identifying remains.
NAS Findings (National Academy of Sciences): Emphasize priorities, reforms (NIFS, standards, accreditation, ethics, bias research, data interoperability).

NCFS (National Commission on Forensic Science): Connected with NIST; OSAC replaces SWGs, NCFS focuses on policy.
Accreditation: Issued to lab (ASCLD/LAB or ISO 17025); voluntary.
Certification: For person (scientist); written exams & proficiency testing.

Areas: Psychology, Psychiatry, Odontology, Engineering, Anthropology, Nursing, Accounting, Art, Entomology, Voiceprint Analysis, Polygraph.
Traditional Categories: Crime Scene Investigation, Physical Science, Biology/DNA, Firearms/Toolmarks, Document Examination, Photography, Toxicology, Latent Prints, Digital Analysis, Forensic Pathology, Drugs Consultancy.
Disciplines/Sub-Disciplines: Drug Chemistry, Trace Evidence, DNA (Nuclear/Mitochondrial), Impression Evidence.

Categories: Inculpatory (includes) vs. Exculpatory (excludes); Direct (no inference) vs. Circumstantial (requires inference); Reconstruction; Associative.
Class vs. Individual Characteristics: Class (common to group, e.g., color); Individual (unique single source, e.g., fingerprints, DNA).
Types of Evidence: Biological, Chemical, Trace, Fingerprints, Questioned Documents, Impressions, Hair/Soil, Digital & Multimedia.

CSI Topics: Blood spatter, body positioning, footprints, fingerprints.
Trace Analyses: Fire debris, explosives, paint, gunshot residue, fibers, glass, hair, soil.

Definitions: Biology (DNA), Firearms/Toolmarks, Latent Prints, Questioned Documents, Trace Evidence, Digital & Multimedia, Toxicology, Forensic Pathology, Impression Evidence, Handwriting Analysis.

Chain of Custody: Ensures secure handling and documentation of evidence from crime scene to courtroom.

Goals: Support justice, seek truth, think like a forensic scientist, draft perfect reports, educate, advance the field.
Daily Activities: Evidence processing, analysis, interpretation, testifying, communicating with investigators; generally not crime scene visits.
Qualities: Honest, ethical, detail-oriented, team player, teacher, objective, unbiased.

Goal: Understand postmortem decay processes to improve time since death estimations.
Simulation: Uses real human bodies for training law enforcement, medical examiners; 7 facilities in the U.S.

Why use science: Address rising crime, new laws, weapons, public safety.
Scientists vs. Lawyers: Scientists use scientific method, present data clearly; Lawyers advocate a position, system is adversarial.
Burden of Proof: Prosecution/Plaintiff must prove guilt (beyond reasonable doubt for criminal; preponderance of evidence for civil).
Forensic Scientist in Court: Sequence: Analysis → Report → Subpoena. Voir dire (qualifications), Direct examination (admissibility), Cross-examination (challenge credibility).
Expert vs. Lay Witness: Expert gives opinions based on facts/training; Lay describes witnessed events.
Rules of Evidence: Admissibility based on foundation, reliability, relevance, scientific validity.
Expert Testimony Standards: Frye Test (general acceptance), Daubert Test (judge as gatekeeper – testing, peer review, error rates, acceptance).
Daubert Trilogy: Daubert v. Merrell Dow, G.E. v. Joiner (relevance), Kumho Tire v. Carmichael (gatekeeping for all experts).
Federal Rule 702: Expert may testify if knowledge helps trier of fact, based on sufficient data, reliable principles, and reliable application.
Constitutional Protections: 4th Amendment (unreasonable search/seizure), 5th Amendment (self-incrimination).

Forensic science integrates disciplines for fair legal outcomes; must meet rigorous standards.
Field evolves with policy (OSAC/NCFS), accreditation, research; ethics and transparency are essential.