Forensic Science History & Careers PDF
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This document provides an overview of forensic science history, careers, significant events, and related concepts. Covering historical figures, methodologies, and practical applications of the scientific method to crime investigation.
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# Forensic Science History | Careers - Forensic Science is using science to help resolve legal matters such as crimes. - **A Forensic Science Investigator** is only interested in collecting evidence and examining it, reporting results to law enforcements, and possibly testifying in court about thei...
# Forensic Science History | Careers - Forensic Science is using science to help resolve legal matters such as crimes. - **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. - **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. - They must be a good communicator to prove the jury that they are right. - Both Forensic Scientists and police have [analytical skill], i.e. identifying a problem → isolating it → drawing appropriate conclusions. ## Significant Events - **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. - **Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Model**: Scientific Method ## 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 info 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/info that can be verified] and opinion [personal belief based on judgement]. - After eyewitnesses, investigator tries to sequence facts into a logical pattern. ## Improving Observation Skills: 1. **Not Naturally Inclined to pay attention to all the details of our surroundings** - **Sol:** Examine your environment systematically. 2. **Naturally Inclined to filter out info we assume to be unimportant** - **Sol:** We need to consciously observe everything. 3. **Naturally Inclined to interpret and see nonexistent patterns** - **Sol:** Leaving interpretation until we have as much info as possible. 4. **We know that our memories are faulty** - **Sol:** Document and photograph us much as possible. - Effective interview techniques help observer recall events in unbiased ways. ## Forensic Science 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 [Father of Toxicology] arsenic. - **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 brives, tools, and instruments". - **1937**: Walter Specht: Develops 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** - Process/compares, identifies biological evidence such as blood. - Both can include DNA analysis. - Often called in to testify 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 w failure analysis, accident reconstruction, origins of fires and explosions. - **Forensic Odontology** - Identifies and compares dental evidence. - **Forensic Pathology** - Dealing with legal purposes and determining time of death. - Works with ME and perform autopsies. - **Criminologist:** - Study of why criminals commit crimes. ### Important People in Forensic Science - **Calvin Goddard:** Established Study of Firearms evidence in the US and 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 the US for the first time in 1882. - **William Hershel:** First to use fingerprinting as a method of identification. - **Dr. Henry Faulds:** 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. - **Alfred Lucas:** Archaeologist and Chemist who authored the fist known forensic chemistry textbook in 1912. Best known for working with Howard Carter on tomb of Tutankhamen. ## HOSA 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 scientists can change the overall judgement. - Case Study Approach w/ reliance on physical evidence, interpretation and hypothesis testing. ### Bias - Bias can always happen. - Contextual information often causes bias: - Contextual information is external information that might set some context for the issue. - Sequential Unmasking can limit bias: information provided in a step by step manner. ### Credibility - Accreditation of Labs: - Means that a lab has agreed to operate by a certain professional standard. - Largest Accreditation Group is: American Association of Crime Lab Directors/Labratory Accredation Board. ### Reproducibility - Results are peer reviewed and should be reproducible. ### Law vs. Science | |Law |Science | |---|---|---| | Goal | Settle disputes | Understand the Natural World | | Merit judged by | Competing arguments | Scientific Processes | ### Evidence - 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**