Unit 1: Introduction to Forensic Science
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What is Forensic Science?
Science applied to criminal and civil laws
How do the penalties differ between a civil case and a criminal case?
Both civil and criminal penalties can include fines and loss of property. Criminal cases can include loss of freedom (jail or prison)
What is the burden of proof in a civil cases versus a criminal case?
Civil cases - a preponderance of the evidence Criminal cases - beyond a reasonable doubt
What is an indictment?
A document that states a person has been formally charged with a crime
What are the three levels of courts that can issue an indictment?
Local/Trial State Federal
A guilty verdict is known as a ______ whereas a not guilty verdict is known as an ______.
conviction / acquittal
Is it possible for a defendant to be charged in both civil and criminal court?
Yes
List the six major forensic disciplines found in a typical crime lab and describe what each one does.
Drug Chemistry - Examines and identifies the presence of illegal drugs on items of evidence Biology/DNA - Examines items of evidence for blood or other bodily fluids; then tests DNA of bodily fluids to determine the person of interest Pattern Evidence - Patterns on evidence (Tire marks, footwear, writing) can then be compared to characteristics of known sources Latent Fingerprints - Examines fingerprints ( invisible to the naked eye or visible) Micro/Trace - Use a microscope to examine small items ( glass, hairs, fibers) Firearms/Ballistics - Examine bullet cartridge casings to help determine the model and caliber of weapon used in a crime; compare to cases recovered fired by a known weapon to determine if used
Can a defendant be indicted at different levels such as local state and federal?
Yes, all. Can be at same time or at different times
In what country was the first written record of a forensic medicine (and medicine in general)
China
Why was the Renaissance Period so important to the growth of forensic medicine?
the catholic Church lifted the ban on the dissection of cadavers which increased anatomical knowledge
What is anthropometry (Bertillionage)?
Classification of offenders by taking a number of body measurements
What was the main problem with Bertillionage in terms of classifying offenders?
It didn’t account for the fact that a person’s measurements change as they age. (You couldn’t have juvenile databases or compare juvenile to adult offenders measurements)
What forensic discipline eventually replaced Bertillionage?
Fingerprints
Describe the contributions to forensic science of the following individuals:
Erasistratus - Greek Physician; noted patient’s heart rate increased when they lied to him (Founder of the polygraph) Alphonse Bertillion - Father of criminal identification; developed anthropology (classifies offenders by body measurements) Mathieu Orfila - Discovered the discipline of forensic technology Francis Galton Developed the discipline of fingerprint analysis Karl Landsteiner - Discovered ABO blood types (father of forensic serology and DNA analysis) Calvin Goddard - Discipline of firearm analysis (comparison microscope) Edmund Locard - Founded the first crime lab
Define what is meant by “Locard’s Principle of Evidence Exchange”
Every contact leaves a trace. Every person that enters a crime scene will take materials with them AND leave materials behind