Forensic Science

• Forensic Science in its broadest definition is the application of science to law.

• Forensic Science is the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system (pg 2)

Sir Arthur Conan DoyleSherlock Holmes

A Study in Scarlet 1887 (pg 3)

Father of toxicology

1879 - Anthropometry

Fingerprints Developed method

of classifying

Published book Finger Prints

1915 - Created system of determining the blood group of a dried blood stain

US Army colonel -refined the technique of

ballistic comparison

Principles of document

examination

1910 - Question Document

Microscopist

Advocate for applying

microscopy to analytical problems

Wrote Criminal Investigation

using scientific method crime

detection

Locard's Exchange (pg 5)

Every criminal can be connected to a crime by dust

particles carried from a crime scene

The FBI,

under J Edgar Hoover, organized the 1st

national forensic lab

III. Organization of a Crime Lab

• At present time, approximately 320 public crime labs are operating at various levels of government.

• Why so many???

• 1. Supreme Court decisions in the 1960’s increased the need for police to secure scientific evidence

• 2. Staggering increase in crime rates in the United States– A. Drug related arrests have also increased– B. DNA profiling

Four Major Federal Crime Labs

• FBI

• Drug Enforcement Administration Lab (DEA)

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

• US Postal Inspection Services

IV. Services of the Crime Lab

• Basic Services Provided

• Optional Services Provided

IV. Services of the Crime Lab

• Basic services provided:-Physical Science Unit incorporates the principles of chemistry, physics, and geology to identify and compare physical evidence. –Biology Unit applies the knowledge of biological sciences in order to investigate blood samples, body fluids, hair, and fiber samples. –Firearms Unit investigates discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition.

IV. Services of the Crime Lab

• Basic services provided:– Document Unit provides the skills needed for

handwriting analysis and other questioned-document issues.

– Photographic Unit applies specialized photographic techniques for recording and examining physical evidence.

IV. Services of the Crime Lab

• Optional Services Provided– Toxicology Unit examines body fluids and organs for

the presence of drugs and poisons.– Latent Fingerprint Unit processes and examines

evidence for latent fingerprints.– Polygraph Unit conducts polygraph or lie detector

tests.– Voiceprint Analysis Unit attempts to tie a recorded

voice to a particular suspect.– Evidence-Collection Unit dispatches specially trained

personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence.

V. Functions of Forensic Scientist.

1. Analysis of Physical Evidence

2. Provision of Expert Testimony

3. Furnishing Training in the Proper Recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence

V. Functions of Forensic Scientist.

1. Analysis of Physical Evidence• Formulate a question worthy of

investigation.• Formulate a reasonable hypothesis to

answer the question.• Test the hypothesis through

experimentation.• Upon validation of the hypothesis, it

become suitable as scientific evidence.

V. Functions of Forensic Scientist.

1. Analysis of Physical Evidence

a. Frye vs. United States

b. Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical

c. Kumho Tire Co. Ltd vs. Carmichael

The Frye Standard.

• The Frye v. United States decision set guidelines for determining the admissibility of scientific evidence into the courtroom.

• To meet the Frye standard, the evidence in question must be “generally accepted” by the scientific community.

Frye Not AbsoluteDaubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc.,.

• However, in the 1993 case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court asserted that the Frye standard is not an absolute prerequisite to the admissibility of scientific evidence.

• Trial judges were said to be ultimately responsible as “gatekeepers” for the admissibility and validity of scientific evidence presented in their courts, as well as all expert testimony.

Kumho Tire Co., ltd vs. Carmichael

In a 1999 decision, the court unanimously ruled the “gatekeeping” role of the trial judge applied not only to scientific testimony but to ALL expert testimony.

V. Functions of Forensic Scientists

• 2. Provision of Expert Testimony

– Expert Witness: an individual whom the court determines possesses knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average layperson.

V. Functions of Forensic Scientists

• 3. Furnishing Training in the Proper Recognition, Collection, and Preservation of Physical Evidence.

– The competence of a laboratory staff and the sophistication of its analytical equipment have little or no value if relevant evidence cannot be properly recognized, collected, and preserved at the site of a crime.

VI. Other Forensic Science Services

• Forensic Pathology

• Forensic Anthropology

• Forensic Entomology

• Forensic Psychiatry

• Forensic Odontology

• Forensic Engineering

Forensic Pathology“We must have the courage to know the true

causes of death” (Ramsey Clark)

• Autopsy

• Rigor mortis

• Livor mortis

• Algor mortis

Dr. Michael Hunter

Forensic Anthropology

• The specialty that is concerned primarily with the identification and examination of human skeletal remains.

The Body Farm

Forensic Entomology

• The study of insects and their relation to a criminal investigation.

Forensic Entomology.com

Thinking about being a Forensic Entomologist?

Forensic Psychiatry

• Specialized area in which the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined.– Civil vs. Criminal– Criminal behavior

University of Alabama Forensic page

Lyle Rossiter, M.D.

Forensic Odontology"A dog that intends to bite does not bear its teeth"

(Turkish proverb) • Provide information about the identification

of victims when the body is left in an unrecognizable state

American Board of Forensic Odontology (abfo.com)

All About Forensic Science

Forensic Engineering

• Definition

• From Latin : forensis meaning “public”– Belonging to courts of law– Pertaining to or fitted for legal or public

argumentation

• Forensic Engineering – science concerned with relations between engineering and the law

More Common Definitions

• Forensic engineering – activities related to failure investigation

• Forensic engineering is a relatively new discipline in engineering

Qualifications of Forensic Engineer

• Expert in subject under investigation– Formal education– Experience– Licensed engineer– Active in technical societies

• Fair, impartial, and ethical– Truthful– Objective– Avoid conflict of interest

History of Penalties for Failures

• Code of Hammurabi

• Napoleonic Code

• English Common Law

Code of Hammurabi (2200 B.C.)King of Babylonia

Code of Hammurabi

• If a builder builds a house for a man and do not make its construction firm and the house which he has built collapse and cause the death of the owner of house – the builder shall be put to death

• If it cause the death of the son of the owner of the house – they shall put to death a son of that builder

• If it cause the death of a slave of the owner of the house – he shall give to the owner of the house a slave of equal value

Code of Hammurabi

If it destroy property, he shall restore whatever it destroyed, and because he did not make the house which he built firm and it collapsed, he shall rebuild the house which collapsed at his own expense

If a builder builds a house for a man and do not make its construction meet the requirements and a wall fall in, that builder shall strengthen the wall at his own expense

- Translated by R.F. Harper

Napoleonic Code (1804)

If there is a loss in serviceability in a constructed project within 10 years of its completion because of a foundation failure or from poor workmanship, the contractor and architect (luckily not the engineer!) will be sent to prison

Common Law in England(15th Century)

If a carpenter undertakes to build a house and does it ill (not well), an action will lie against him

Forensic Engineering

• Concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes/origins of fires or explosions.

Bison Engineering

Journal of Failure and Analysis

What do I want to be when I grow up?