Forensics Chapter 1: Introduction

forensic science

the application of science to law

american academy of forensic science

the largest forensic science organization in the world.

criminalistics

the services of a crime laboratory.

csi effect

The dramatization of forensic science on television that has led the public to believe that every crime scene will yield forensic evidence and produces unrealistic expectations that a prosecutor's case should always be bolstered and supported by forensic

sir arthur conan doyle

considerable influence on popularizing scientific crime- detection methods through his fictional character Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes applied many of the principles of modern forensic science long before they were adopted widely by police.

mathieu orfila

Father of forensic toxicology. Published the first scientific treatise on the detection of poisons and their effects on animals.

alphonse bertillon

Devised the first scientific system of personal identification.
The father of criminal identification.
anthropometry

anthropometry

a systematic procedure of taking a series of body measurements as a means of distinguishing one individual from another.

francis galton

Undertook the first definitive study of fingerprints and developed a methodology of classifying them for filing.

leone lattes

Devised a procedure for determining the blood group of a dried bloodstain.

dr. karl landsteiner

Discovered that blood can be grouped into different categories (A, B, AB, and O)

calvin goddard

Established the comparison microscope as the indispensable tool of the modern firearms examiner.

albert s. osborn

Developed the fundamental principles of document examination.

walter c. mccrone

Educated forensic scientists throughout the world in the application of microscopic technology.

hans gross

Wrote the first treatise describing the application of scientific disciplines to the field of criminal investigation

edmond locard

Demonstrated how the principles enunciated by Gross could be incorporated within a workable crime laboratory.
exchange principle

locard's exchange principle

when a person comes in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of materials occurs. He maintained that every criminal can be connected to a crime by dust particles carried from the crime scene.

fbi

world's largest forensic laboratory

edgar j hoover

led the fbi lab when it opened

1932

when was the fbi lab founded?

los angeles police department

the oldest forensic lab in the U.S.

1923

when was the lapd lab founded?

physical science unit

applies principles and techniques of chemistry, physics, and geology to the identification and comparison of crime-scene evidence.

biology unit

perform DNA profiling on dried bloodstains and other body fluids, compare hair and fibers, and identify and compare botanical materials such as wood and plants.

firearms unit

examines firearms, discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition of all types.

document examination unit

studies the handwriting and typewriting on questioned documents to ascertain authenticity and/or source.

photography unit

examines and records physical evidence. Also prepares photographic exhibits for courtroom presentation.

toxicology unit

examines body fluids and organs to determine the presence or absence of drugs and poisons.

latent fingerprint unit

processes and examines evidence for latent fingerprints when they are submitted in conjunction with other laboratory examinations.

polygraph unit

the lie detector's functions are handled by people trained in the techniques of criminal investigation and interrogation.

voiceprint analysis unit

tie voices in telephones threats or tape-recorded messages to a particular suspect.

crime-scene investigation unit

dispatches specially trained personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence.

trial judges

who assumes the ultimate responsibility for acting as a "gatekeeper" in judging the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence in the courts?

expert witness

if a witness can establish to the satisfaction of a trial judge that he or she possesses a particular skill or has knowledge in a trade or profession that will aid the court in determining the truth of the matter at issue.

forensic psychiatry

a specialized area in which the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined.

forensic odontology

help identify victims when the body is left in an unrecognizable state.

forensic engineering

concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions.

forensic computer and digital analysis

identification, collection, preservation, and examination of information derived from computers and other digital devices, such as cell phones.