Forensic Science History & Careers PDF

## Forensic Science History | Careers - Forensic Science is using science to help resolve legal matters such as crimes. ### Forensic Science Investigator - A Forensic Science Investigator is only interested in collecting evidence and examining it, reporting results to law enforcements, and possibl...

## Forensic Science History | Careers - Forensic Science is using science to help resolve legal matters such as crimes. ### Forensic Science Investigator - A Forensic Science Investigator is only interested in collecting evidence and examining it, reporting results to law enforcements, and possibly testifying in court about their findings. ### Forensic Science Examiner - The Forensic Science examiner is the only that identifies the evidence, documents it and determines its significance. ### What do Forensic Scientists do? - Find evidence and decide what needs to be collected, documented, etc. - Collecting evidence includes collecting qualitative and quantitative data. - Also must be a good communicator to prove to the jury that they are right. - Both Forensic Scientists and police have analytical skills, i.e identifying a problem, isolating it and drawing appropriate conclusions ### Significant Events - Created facial addition coding system. - 1967 - Paul Ekman finds that human beings can make 10000 facial microexpressions and 3000 to emotion and nonverbal communication. - 1974 - Elizabeth Loftus explaining how misinformation leads to false memories. - 2012 - Scott Fraser describing fallibility of memory reconstruction. - 2014 - Pamela Meyer publishes work on how to detect lying. - 2016 - Interrogation techniques that are modified for eyewitnesses and suspects. ### What do Forensic Scientists do? Pt 2: - The last part is done through Deductive Reasoning. - Deriving a conclusion using a series of logical steps ### Scientific Method - Claim Evidence Reasoning Model ### Observation and Perception: - What a person perceives using their senses. - Instead of constant data flowing in our brain, we have an unconscious filter and we only pay attention to what is most likely important. ### Perception: - Our brain's interpretation of our sensory observations after our brain filtered and processed it. - It's limited and is not always accurate. - Ex: is when our brain fills in information that is not present. - We believe what we see and hear, even though our ability to be accurate is flawed. ### Eyewitness Observation: - Perception of eyewitnesses can be faulty. - Emotional states such as anxiety can also interfere with an accurate memory. - Other factors are prejudices, personal beliefs, etc. - They can still be valuable evidence, especially if told from a bystander who don't experience the anxiety. - Some victims are also less subject to disruptive effects of anxiety on memory. ### Eyewitness Accounts: - Eyewitness Accounts of a crime-scene can vary considerably. - Memory fades with time and our brain tends to fill in details that are not accurate. - Forensic Investigator must differentiate between fact (statement/ information that can be verified) and opinion (personal belief based on judgement). - After eyewitness, investigator tries to sequence facts into a logical pattern. ### Improving Observation Skills: - Not Naturally Inclined to pay attention to all the details of our surroundings. - Sol: Examine your environment systematically. - Naturally Inclined to filter out information we assume to be unimportant. - Sol: We need to consciously observe everything. - Naturally Inclined to Interpret and see Nonexistent Patterns. - Sol: Leaving Interpretation until we have as much info as possible. - We know that our memories are faulty. - Sol: Document and Photograph us much as possible. - Effective interview techniques help observers recall events in unbiased ways. ### Forensic Timeline - 250 - Erasistratus noticed that pulse rate of patients increased when they died. - 1247 - Sung Tzu writes "Washing away the wrong!" - First book on how to use medical knowledge to investigate death. - 1840 - Mathieu Orfila: Applies Marsh Test to detect arsenic. [Father of Toxicology] - 1883 - Alphonse Bertillon: Invents Anthropometry [Recorded measurements of human body to find criminals]. - 1892 - Sir Francis Galton: Classifies fingertips into 8 categories based on patterns. - 1910 - Edmond Locard: Establishes 1st Police crime lab and also the Locard Principle. - 1920s - Luke Way: Published called "Identification of knives, tools, and instruments". - 1937: Walter Specht: Deploys luminol that glows blue when contacting blood. - 1950: Max Frei - Sulzer: First to use tape to lift trace evidence. - 1974: Scientists develop gunshot residue methods. - 1984: Sir Alec Jeffreys develops DNA Fingerprinting. ### Careers in Forensic Science - CSI [Crime Scene Investigator]: - Analyze crime scenes. - Collect / Process Evidence. - Crime Scene reports - On call 24/7 - Forensic Photographer: - Visually documents crime scenes. - Needs knowledge of UV and Infrared Light. ### Trace Evidence Examiner: - Identifies and compares physical evidence such as hair, fibers, etc through physical/chemical analysis. ### Latent Print Examiner: - "Lifts" fingerprints from crime scene using powder or chemicals. - Runs them through physical and chemical analysis. - Checks the print through electronic database. ### Forensic Serologist/Biologist: - Processes/ compares/ identifies biological evidence such as blood, DNA analysis. - Both can include DNA analysis. - Often called in to testify in court cases. ### Forensic Toxicologist: - Examines body fluids and organs to determine presence of drugs and poisons. ### Questioned Document Examiner: - Studies handwriting and typeface on questioned documents to determine authenticity and origin. ### Firearm Examiner: - Examines firearms and discharged ammunition. ### Forensic Entomologist: - Studies insect to estimate the time of death. ### Forensic Computer Science: - Collects/ Identifies data from computers and other digital devices. ### Forensic Engineers: - Concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, origins of fires and explosions. ### Forensic Odonotology - Identifies and compares dental evidence. ### Forensic Pathology: - Dealing with legal purpose and determining time of death. - Works with ME and perform autopsies. ### Criminologist: - Study of why criminals commit crimes. ### Other Notable Individuals - **Calvin Goddard:** Established Study of Firearms evidence in US and a variety of police labs, also invented the comparison scope. - **Hans Gross:** Published the first forensic science textbook, Criminal Intern Investigations in 1893. - **Victor Bathazard:** Advanced fingerprint, firearm and hair analysis. - **Juan Vucitech:** Began the first fingerprint files in 1891. - **Gilbert Thomas:** Used Fingerprints officially in US for the First time in 1882. - **William Hershel:** First to use fingerprinting as a method of identification - **Dr Thomas:** Came up with a classification based on fingerprints in 1880. - **Karl Landsteiner:** Discovered ABO Blood Typing and Received Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in 1930. - **Henry Classification System:** Classification for fingerprinting in all European Countries. - **The Odds for two fingerprints being the same is 1 in 64 billion.** - **Adversarial System:** System in with lawyers work. - **Finder of Fact:** Judge or Jury who determines “right" in a case. - **Voir Dire:** Qualifications of a scientist given in a court of law. - **Subpoena:** Statement requiring someone to appear in court and when/where the trial is held. - **Alfred Lucas:** Archaeologist and Chemist who authored the first known forensic chemistry textbook in 1912. Best known for working with Howard Carter on tomb of Tutankhamen. ### Chapter One: Justice & Science - **Forensic Science:** focuses on applying scientific methods to criminal investigations. - Analyzing evidence like DNA, blood, drugs, etc. - Different from criminology (Social & human aspects of a crime). - Findings from forensic scientist can change the overall judgement. - **Case Study Approach:** w/ reliance on physical evidence, interpretation and hypothesis testing. - Bias can always happen. - Contextual information often causes bias. - Sequential Unmasking can limit bias (info is provided in a step by step manner). - **Accredidation Of Labs:** means that a lab has agreed to operate by a certain proffesioneel standard. - Largest Accredation Group is: American Association of Crime Lab Directors/Labratory Accredation Board - **Reproducibility :** results are peer reviewed and should be reproducable. - **Law vs. Science:** - Law: Goal is to settle disputes. Merit judged by competing arguments. - Science: Goal is to understand the natural world. Merit judged by scientific processes. - **Evidence (in court):** is presented to the trier of fact, who makes the decision for a case by the given evidence. - **Ethics:** American Academy of Forensic Sciences has a code of Ethics and an ethics committee. - Annie Dookhan Boston Example: