The fundamental of the criminal justice system is
to protect the rights of the accused
judge
decides if someone is qualified to be an expert witness
Characteristics of a reliable scientific method
integrity, defensible technique, and competence
reason
word that ancient Greeks use to indicate the proper harmony of feeling and intelligence
real world of forensic science
individual scientists always work as members of a larger team which includes other scientists and members of the legal profession/law enforcement
public science
Forensic scientists are obligated to combine scientific skills with a sworn duty to the public good.
evidence
used in a courtroom setting to establish the connection of a person to a crime
true or false: Forensic scientists do not need to know anything about the rules of law since that is an area reserved only for students of the law (attorneys, judges, congress, etc.). Attorneys that require an expert witness will tell the expert everythin
false
true or false: Forensic scientists typically must present their conclusions as tentative, conditional, or probable in nature
true
true or false : A criminal trial is simply a mechanism to secure a conviction against a suspect
false
The primary duty of a forensic expert in a court of law is
to tell the truth
Forensic scientists differ from other scientists in that
forensic scientists incur specific legal obligations to which they must conform their conduct
true or false: The primary role of the prosecuting attorney is to determine the winnability of a case before making the decision to prosecute
false
true or false: Obligations to professional codes of ethics and contractual obligations to employers can create conflicts with the legal obligations of a forensic scientist.
true
coincidence
A sequence of events that, although accidental, seems to be planned or arranged
true or false: Because scientific opinions involve interpretations of and inferences from scientific data they are not subject to challenge in court.
false
degree of scientific certainty
Courts may require forensic scientists to provide a measurement of a reasoned opinion.
true or false : A forensic scientist acting as an expert witness must always remember to discuss only those areas within his/her expertise and must not offer opinions about things outside of that expertise.
true
true or false : Because forensic scientists are directly involved in matters of law it is appropriate for a forensic scientist to give both scientific and legal opinions in court.
false
Forensic evidence differs from other evidence in that it:
involves the application of the scientific method , utilizes laboratory techniques , involves wide variety of traditional natural sciences
forensic evidence
Facts or opinions generated or supported by the use of one or more of the forensic sciences
individual characteristic evidence
Evidence that associates a particular person with a crime scene or the commission of a crime
circumstantial evidence
evidence always requires inference of one fact from a fact that has been "proven" in court
foundation
consists of sufficient support to convince the court that a proposed witness or item of proposed evidence has the potential to be true.
The primary purpose of forensic evidence in a criminal trial is to:
physically link the defendent to the crime scene, thereby providing inferential evidence of his/her commission or association with the crime
evidence (2)
Court-approved information that the jury is allowed to consider when determining a defendant's guilt or innocence
true or false : Most forensic evidence is presented in court as being an absolute match to a given suspect or other individual.
false
biological evidence
Area of forensic science dealing with tissues used for identification and individualization.
true or false : Exclusion of class or individual forensic findings is important because it can help to eliminate a potential suspect from further investigation and prosecution.
false
true or false : The best time to photograph an outdoor crime scene is at noon in order to get the most available light.
false
transient
The strong smell of gasoline at a crime scene would be an example of what kind of evidence?
The most important single consideration in collecting and preserving a loaded or potentially loaded weapon as evidence is
ensuring that the weapon is safe to handle
In a death investigation, the following should be done to the victim (assume permission has been obtained from the Medical Examiner):
bag the hands , collect any loose evidence on the body , check the ground around and under the body
true or false: Scientific crime scene investigation is based on the Locard transfer theory of physical evidence, scientific testing techniques, and basic logical reasoning.
true
folded paper
An appropriate primary container for the collection and preservation of dried blood collected from the surface of an object
The first responder to a crime scene
attends to the safety and treatment of any victims
Disposable gloves should be worn while handling and collecting evidence at a crime scene in order to:
avoid depositing fingerprints on evidence , avoid depositing sweat residues on evidence , protect scene personnel from potential biological hazards
A rough crime scene sketch:
shows all measurements