Criminalistics
the examination of physical evidence
Evidence
anything that tends to establish or disprove a fact. Can include testimony, documents, and other objects
Ballistics
the science that deals with the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, most often firearms and bullets
Odontology
in forensics, examination of bite marks and dental identification of corpses
Pathology
investigation of sudden, unexplained or violent death
Entomology
the study of insects
Palynology
the study of pollen and spores
Polygraphy
the use of the "lie detector
Statutory Law
legislative acts declaring, commanding, or prohibiting something
Common/Case Law
the body of law made up of judicial opinions and precedents
Stare Decisis
to stand by the decision" meaning previous legal decisions are to be followed
Civil Law
law that deals with noncriminal suits brought to protect or preserve a civil or private right or matter
Criminal Law
regulation and enforcement of rights, setting the acceptable limits of conduct in society
Misdemeanor
a minor crime, less than a felony, usually punished with a fine or confinement other than in a prison
Felony
a serious crime, such as murder, punishable by more than one year of imprisonment up to execution
Probable Cause
situation in which a reasonable and prudent person, viewing the available information, would conclude that a crime has been committed and that the suspect committed it
Violation
a breach of a right, duty, or law
Infraction
violation of a rule or law that is not punishable by prison
Elements
in criminal law, the specific factors or parts of a crime
Booking
a police procedure following arrest that records basic information about the suspect, a photograph, and fingerprints, and perhaps include a line up
Miranda Rights
rights guaranteed by the Constitution that police must tell arrestees about, especially the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney
Arraignment
the first act in a criminal proceeding, where the defendant is brought before the court to hear charges and enter a plea
Bail
money put up to guarentee that the defendant will appear in court as directed. A bondsman pays the bail for a fee of 10 percent of the bail amount. If the defendant does not appear when the time comes, the bondsman may hire bounty hunters to find and retu
Nola Contendere
in a criminal lawsuit, when a defendant neither admits or denies committing a crime but accepts punishment as though he or she was guilty
Preliminary Hearing
a hearing before a magistrate or a judge to determine whether a person charged with a crime should be held for trial; also sometimes called preliminary examination
Grand Jury
a group of people sworn to inquire into a crime and if appropriate bring accusations (indictments) against the suspected criminals
Indict
to formally accuse a person of a crime
Plea Bargaining
an agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor in return drops more serious charges to avoid the cost and time of trial
Probative
in evidence law, tending to prove something
Material
in evidence law, relevant and significant. A material witness has information about the subject
Hearsay
testimony given by a witness who relates not what he or she heard, saw or knows personally, but what others have said. The knowledge is dependent on the credibility of the person who first made the statement, and therefore is not admissible in court unles
Expert Witness
a person who is a specialist in a subject that is often technical, who may present his or her expert opinion without actually witnessing any occurrence relating to the case. This is an exception to the rule against giving an opinion in a trial, provided t
Frye Standard
commonly called the "general acceptance" test, dictates that scientific evidence is admissible at trial only if the methodology or scientific principle on which the opinion is based is "sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the par
Daubert Ruling
revision of the Frye standard for admissibility of expert scientific evidence. Implicitly endorses a classical definition of the scientific method, including hypothesis testing, estimates of error rates, peer=reviewed publication and general acceptance
Junk Science
theories based on distorted, flawed or untested hypotheses not derived from or tested by the scientific method