IRP 4 Forensics

Introduction to Forensics 1

What is forensics?

• Aka. Criminalistics • It is the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system • In short: application of science to law • Comes from the latin word “forum” meaning “public” • Includes chemistry, biology, physics, and geology 2

Job of a Forensic Scientist

• Minimum 4 year degree (the norm is a Masters degree) in the field of forensics • Specialize in one or two fields only • Main jobs is to: analyze evidence testify in court 3

How did forensics start?

• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - author of Sherlock Holmes - credited with making scientific crime detection methods popular (1st book in 1887) - his character applied fingerprinting, firearm identification and questioned document examination long before their value was first recognized 4

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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How did forensics continue?

• Mathieu Orfila (1787-1853) - father of forensic toxicology - published book on the detection of poisons and their effect on animals - became famous after determining the death of a husband was caused by the wife’s repeated doses of poison in her husband’s food 6

How did forensics continue?

• Alphonse Betrillon (1853-1914) -first scientific system to personal identification - developed science of anthropometry (systematic procedure of taking a series of body measurements as a means of distinguishing one individual from another) - considered valid for nearly two decades replaced by fingerprinting… WHY?

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How did forensics continue?

• Francis Galton (1822-1911) -1st study of fingerprints and a methodology of classifying them for filing - 1st published book on fingerprints proving their uniqueness and use for identification; stole these findings from others 8

How did forensics continue?

• Leon Lattes (1887-1954) - used Karl Landsteiner’s discovery of blood types as a useful technique for identifying individuals - developed a procedure for determining the blood group of a dried bloodstain - was immediately applied to criminal investigations 9

How did forensics continue?

• Calvin Goddard (1891-1955) - put the microscope to use in determining if a particular firearm shot a bullet 10

How did forensics continue?

• Albert S. Osborn (1858-1946) - document examination - became scientific evidence in court 11

How did forensics continue?

• Edmond Locard (1877-1966) - founder of the Institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lyons (France) - believed when a criminal came in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of evidence occurred - this became known as

Locard’s Exchange Principle

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Forensics and the U.S.

• Most ambitious to adopt this emerging science • 1932, FBI organized a national lab that would offer forensic services to all law enforcement in the country • Today, the FBI’s lab is the largest forensic lab in the world; ~1 million examinations each year 13

Forensics and the U.S.

• Oldest forensic lab in U.S. is the Los Angeles Police Departments (1923) • This lab was created by August Vollmer who later headed the first institute of criminology at the University of California at Berkeley • School lacked fame until 1948 when it became active at creating labs nationwide 14

Public vs. Private Labs

• Public Labs - only accessible by judicial personnel and police - overloaded - some 470+ in the country • Private Labs - more expensive - available to the public - only 50-100 in the country 15

Basic Services of a Crime Lab

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Physical Science Unit

- use chemistry, physics, and geology for the identification and comparison of crime-scene evidence ex. Drugs, glass, paint, explosives, and soils 16

Basic Services of a Crime Lab

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Biology Unit

- biologists and biochemists - identify DNA, dried blood stains, and other body fluids - the comparison of hairs/fibers - botanical materials such as wood and plants 17

Basic Services of a Crime Lab

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Firearm Unit

- examine firearms, discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition of all types - garments tested for discharge residues and to approximate the distance from a target at which a weapon was fired 18

Basic Services of a Crime Lab

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Document Examination Unit

- handwriting and typewriting on questioned documents are studied - ascertain the authenticity/source - paper and ink analysis as well as examination of indented writings, obliterations, erasures, and burned or charred documents 19

Basic Services of a Crime Lab

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Photography Unit

- examine and record physical evidence - techniques include digital imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray photography - also aid in photo exhibits used in court 20

Optional Crime Services

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Toxicology

: body fluids and organs tested for presence/absence of drugs and poisons

Latent Fingerprint Unit

: examine prints

Polygraph Unit

: polygraph/lie detector; sometimes in forensics lab but now more in police agencies 21

Optional Crime Services

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Voiceprint Analysis Unit:

telephoned threats or tape-recorded messages examined; tie particular voice to a particular suspect; use a sound spectrograph (transforms speech into a visual graphic display called a voiceprint) 22

Optional Crime Services

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Evidence-Collection Unit

: sent to crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence that will later be processed at the crime laboratory 23

Types of Forensics

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Forensic Pathology

: investigation of sudden, unnatural, unexplained or violent deaths; typically medical examiners or coroners ask “Who is the victim? Injuries present? When did the injuries occur? Why and how produced?” Autopsy done if can’t tell cause of death visually 24

Types of forensics

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Forensic Anthropology

: identification and examination of human skeletal remains; bones can reveal origin, sex, approximate age, race, and skeletal injury

Forensic engineering

: responsible for failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes of fires and explosions; mechanical objects examined, determined if parties involved are responsible; photos reviewed 25

Types of Forensics

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Forensic Entomology

: study of insects and their relation to a crime; used to estimate the time of death when the circumstances surrounding crime are unknown; after decomposition, flies/insects are first to infest the body; can determine death time by development of fly larva 26

Types of Forensics

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Forensic Psychiatry

: specialized area in which relationships between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined; determined if people are competent to make decisions about preparing wills, settling property or refusing medical treatment; competent to stand trial 27

Types of Forensics

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Forensic Odontology

: provide info about the identification of victims when the body is left in an unrecognizable state; examine teeth, their alignment, smiles, and bite mark analysis 28