History of Forensic Science

forensic science::the application of science to law, application of science to criminal and civil laws enforced b police agencies in a criminal justice system, science associated with people, places, and things involved in criminal activities, science of spatial and temporal relationship between people, places, and things involved in crime, can be both criminal and non-criminal (civil)

criminalistics=forensic science

most forensic science labs have::biology, chemistry, pattern evidence, digital evidence

other fields include pathology, entomology, odontology, anthropology, toxicology, engineering, art/graphics, weapons of mass destruction, wildlife, psychiatry, psychology

Alfonse Bertillon:: Bertillon method, 22 measurements for identification

William and Will West:: identical Bertillon measurements, caused Bertillon method to be discarded

Mathieu Orfila::father of Forensic Toxicology

toxicology::study of foreign substances/excess of substances in the body

Orfila wrote the first book on poisons in the human body

Francis Galton::fingerprints as a form of identification

fingerprints::permanent for life and unique to each person (including identical twins)

latent fingerprints can be visualized by::chemicals, powders, alternate lights sources

Leon Lattes::blood typing procedure

Karl Landsteiner::created ABO blood type system

Calvin Goddard::ballistic comparison microscopy, started Northwestern University crime lab

first crime lab::LAPD in 1928

NIBIN::National Integrated Ballistics Information Network

Edward Locard- Locard’s Exchanged Principle

Locard’s Exchange Principle::when two objects come into contact, there is always an exchange of material

Alec Jeffreys:: DNA profiling

Alec Jeffreys case:

  • 2 school girls were murdered
  • compared DNA evidence that was found on both of their bodies and DNA was from the same person
  • did not know who the DNA was from
  • to try to figure it out, asked for men in area to voluntarily give blood samples
  • none of the men’s DNA matched what was found on their bodies
  • one guy admitted to giving his DNA under his friend’s name
  • got DNA from friend and it was a match to the suspect DNA

CODIS::DNA Database

DNA Identification Act of 1994

Frye v. US::procedures and techniques must be “generally accepted“ by the community

Daubert v. Merrell Dow::Frye did not have enough restrictions, whole new set of standards

Daubert standards::validated and peer reviewed technique, know error rate, already existent standards for technique, widespread acceptance of technique

Kumho Tire v. Carmichael::essentially applied Daubert standards to all expert testimony (not just scientific)

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