Intro Forensic Science Test 1 Review

first crime lab in US: LAPD (1928)

2nd crime lab in US: Northwestern University (became Chicago PD lab)

Calvin Goddard: at Northwestern University, created comparison microscope

2 most important identification techniques: fingerprints and DNA

latent prints vs. latent fingerprints: latent print can be anything (including palms and feet), but latent fingerprint, is specifically fingers

latent: not visible with naked eye

ways to make latent prints visible: alternate light source, chemicals, powders, cyanoacrylate fuming

cyanoacrylate fuming: superglue, preserves and visualizes print

what to use cyanoacrylate fuming on: prints on hard nonporous surfaces

12 steps of processing a crime scene: preparation, approach, secure/protect scene, preliminary survey, evaluate physical evidence possibilities, narrative description, photographs, sketch, detailed search, record/collect evidence, final survey, release scene

CODIS: Combined DNA Index System

how many labs contribute to CODIS: about 200

cases CODIS has helped solve: over 500 thousand

types of prints in CODIS: prints left at scene, people arrested, known offenders

levels of CODIS: local, state, national

wrongfully convicted individuals exonerated with DNA: over 300 in US

TEDAC: Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center

what does TEDAC do: analyze IEDs and compare them/identify people responsible for them

IED: improvised explosive devices

Sir Alec Jeffreys: genetic scientist

biological identification technique before DNA: blood typing

Frye case: science needs to be generally accepted

Daubert case: needs validation, peer review, standards, error rate, and widespread acceptance

6 positions at a crime scene: team leader, photographer, sketch preparer, evidence custodian, evidence recovery, specialist

disciplines: impression evidence, biological evidence, trace evidence, chemical evidence

specialists not found in most labs: entomology, anthropology, odontology, graphics

chain of custody: for each individual piece of evidence, start with who took it from the scene until court (absolutely no gaps)

administrative report: done by team leader, includes all the information

forensic vacuum: for trace evidence, use different ones in different locations to separate what was found where

Lisk/Silva cases: hairs and fibers connected each other and suspect

Locard’s Exchange Principle: anything that comes in contact with something leaves something and picks something up

microbial forensics: used in anthrax case in 2001

evidence packaging: initial on tape/package, information on package (person, date, case, etc)

electrostatic dust print lifter: lifts dust prints

2 people should be present for: collection of drugs/valuables

known standards: collect from suspect, victim, scene

Lattes: developed procedure to determine blood group

Landsteiner: ABO blood typing system

Galton: fingerprints

Goddard: comparison microscopy in ballistics

Orfila: father of forensic toxicology

Bertillon: 22 measurements for identification

Jeffreys: DNA profiling