Introduction to Forensic Science

1
Introduction to Forensic Science

• Definition
• History
• Organization of a Crime Laboratory
• Services of the Crime Laboratory
• The Functions of the Forensic Scientist
• Other Forensic Science Services

2
Definition of Forensic Science

• Is the application of science to law.
• Is focused upon the application of scientific
  methods and techniques to crime and law.

3
History

• Landmarks of Forensics
• http//www.stfrancis.edu/ns/diab/Forensic1/Landmar
  k1.htm
• Earliest crime lab was founded by Edmond Locard
• Evolution of Crime Lab
• http//www.mdpd.com/astmhtm.html
• New York State Troopers Forensic Lab
• http//www.troopers.state.ny.us/ForSc/LabHist/LabH
  istindex.html

4
Rationale for Crime Labs since the 60s

• The increasing volume of physical evidence
  recovered from crime scenes as a result of rising
  crime rates.
• The need to perform chemical analyses on drugs,
  coupled with a significant increase in illicit
  drug seizures.
• Supreme Court decisions have enhanced the rights
  of the defendant. Decisions, such as those
  insuring a defendants right to counsel and the
  right to remain silent, have encouraged police
  agencies to place a greater reliance on
  scientific investigative techniques.
• Advances in scientific technology have provided
  forensic scientists with many new skills and
  techniques to extract meaningful information from
  physical evidence.

5
Organization of a Crime Lab

• Approximately 320 public crime labs operate at
  various levels of govt federal, state, county
  municipal
• New York State Troopers
• http//www.troopers.state.ny.us

6
Advantages of incorporating an evidence
collection unit into the organizational structure
of crime labs

• Before evidence can be properly analyzed it must
  be recognized, collected and properly packaged at
  the crime site.
• Evidence technicians under the continuous
  direction of the crime laboratory are more likely
  to have received thorough training in the
  gathering of evidence at the crime site.
• Evidence technicians, who are continuously
  exposed to the problems and techniques of the
  forensic scientist, are better prepared to adopt
  new procedures or modify existing procedures to
  improve evidence collection.

7
Services of the Crime Lab

• Forensic Crime Lab
• http//www.forensiccrimelab.com/
• New York State Troopers
• http//www.troopers.state.ny.us/

8
Services of Crime Lab

• Physical Science Unit-applies principles and
  techniques of chemistry, physics and geology
  which can be subdivided by expertise and
• -Biology Unit
• -Firearms Unit
• -Document Examination Unit
• -Photography Unit
• -Toxicology Unit
• -Latent Fingerprint Unit
• -Polygraph Unit
• -Voiceprint Analysis Unit
• -Evidence-Collection Unit
• -Forensic Anthropology
• -Forensic Entomology
• -Forensic Psychiatry
• -Forensic Odontology
• -Forensic Engineering

9
The Functions of the Forensic Scientist

• Examine the evidence
• Perform the appropriate analysis
• Render a conclusion based on evidence
• Testify in court

10
Scientists continued

• Scientists must be continually concerned with
  quality, the forensicscience professionals have
  anincreased moral obligation to ensurethat
  analyses and conclusions areobjective and
  correct
• The criteria needed to be declared an expert in a
  particular field of forensic science is
  determined by the individual judge during
  thetrial process. He/She also determines the
  amount, if any, of the expert's testimony that
  will be allowed during that particular trial.
• District of Columbia's Frye vs. United States
  Court of Appeals ruling of 1923 has been used as
  a guide for scientific evidence admissibility in
  court.
• Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals set forth
  guidelines for determining the admissibility of
  scientific examinations in the federal court.

11
Time of Death

• The following can be used to determine time of
  death
• Rigor mortis
• Eye fluid potassium levels
• Livor mortis
• Insect infestation
• Note algor mortis is the cooling of the body
  temperature after death

12
Additional Sites

• http//whyfiles.org/index.html