Introduction to Introduction to Forensic ScienceForensic Science

Coach WhitakerCoach Whitaker

VocabularyVocabulary

Forensic Science—is the study and Forensic Science—is the study and application of science to matters of application of science to matters of lawlaw

Odontology—examination of bite Odontology—examination of bite marks and dental identificationmarks and dental identification

Pathology—investigation of sudden, Pathology—investigation of sudden, unexplained, or violent deathunexplained, or violent death

Entomology—the study of insectsEntomology—the study of insects Palynology—the study of pollen and Palynology—the study of pollen and

sporesspores

VocabularyVocabulary

Polygraphy—the use of the lie detectorPolygraphy—the use of the lie detector Anthropologist—study of human remains Anthropologist—study of human remains Serologist—deals with blood and other Serologist—deals with blood and other

body fluidsbody fluids toxicologist—study of drugs and poisonstoxicologist—study of drugs and poisons Botanist—study of plants and plant Botanist—study of plants and plant

residueresidue

VocabularyVocabulary

Expert Witness—person who Expert Witness—person who provides testimony at a legal provides testimony at a legal proceeding in the form of proceeding in the form of professional opinions professional opinions

Anticipation GuideAnticipation Guide

Forensic ScienceForensic Science Forensic Science or Forensic Science or

criminalistics is the criminalistics is the study and application of study and application of science to matters of lawscience to matters of law

Forensic scientists use Forensic scientists use crime labs to help them crime labs to help them examine evidenceexamine evidence

Most crime labs will Most crime labs will include the following: include the following: physical science, physical science, biology, ballistics, biology, ballistics, document examination, document examination, photography, toxicology, photography, toxicology, and finger printsand finger prints

Forensic ScienceForensic Science

A forensic scientist’s performs all of A forensic scientist’s performs all of the following duties:the following duties:

Studies and collects different types of Studies and collects different types of evidence at crime scenesevidence at crime scenes

Testifies as an expert witness at trials Testifies as an expert witness at trials where he or she presents data, where he or she presents data, weighs evidence, and gives opinions weighs evidence, and gives opinions to the courtto the court

Performs scientific research and train Performs scientific research and train other scientists other scientists

Forensic ScienceForensic Science Forensic Scientists come Forensic Scientists come

from many backgrounds; from many backgrounds; many have studied many have studied biology, or microbiology, biology, or microbiology, chemistry, physical chemistry, physical science, geology, or one science, geology, or one of the other sciencesof the other sciences

They learn about They learn about forensics from forensics from experience or experience or independent study or independent study or through experience as a through experience as a police officerpolice officer

Forensic ScienceForensic Science

In the past when the world was smaller, In the past when the world was smaller, identifying, capturing, and convicting identifying, capturing, and convicting criminals depended on eyewitnesses and criminals depended on eyewitnesses and confessionsconfessions

In order for law enforcement to keep pace In order for law enforcement to keep pace other techniques for IDing criminals had to be other techniques for IDing criminals had to be developdevelop

Science provides methods that depend less on Science provides methods that depend less on eyewitnesses to ID criminals or to link the eyewitnesses to ID criminals or to link the criminals to the crime scenecriminals to the crime scene

Can you think of any examples?Can you think of any examples?

Great Examples That Great Examples That Propelled Forensic Science Propelled Forensic Science

ForwardForward Microscope—enabled Microscope—enabled

criminalists to analyze even criminalists to analyze even the smallest bits of evidence the smallest bits of evidence and to see details that were and to see details that were unseenunseen

Photography—gave Photography—gave criminalists a clear criminalists a clear representation of the crime representation of the crime scene without relying on scene without relying on memory or drawingsmemory or drawings

Ballistics—gave criminalists Ballistics—gave criminalists a clearer idea where a bullet a clearer idea where a bullet came fromcame from

Blood typing and DNA—Blood typing and DNA—made matching suspect to made matching suspect to crime scene much more crime scene much more exactexact

Careers in Forensic Careers in Forensic ScienceScience

CriminalistCriminalist Crime Scene Crime Scene

InvestigatorInvestigator Forensic InvestigatorForensic Investigator Forensic pathologistForensic pathologist Forensic pathology Forensic pathology

technician technician Forensic anthropologistForensic anthropologist Forensic toxicologistForensic toxicologist Fingerprint examinerFingerprint examiner Forensic document Forensic document

examinerexaminer Detective/InvestigatorDetective/Investigator CoronerCoroner

Career ActivityCareer Activity

Your job is to create a one minute info-Your job is to create a one minute info-commercial on one of the careers we commercial on one of the careers we talked abouttalked about

You must have job requirements, salary, You must have job requirements, salary, job descriptions, work conditions, job descriptions, work conditions, qualifications, work environment, and qualifications, work environment, and some type of job slogan used for some type of job slogan used for recruitment. You can use any media, recruitment. You can use any media, music, or any other technology devicemusic, or any other technology device

Crime LabCrime Lab Crime labs can be found Crime labs can be found

on the local, state, and on the local, state, and federal level federal level

For example, the GBI For example, the GBI crime lab in DeKalb crime lab in DeKalb CountyCounty

The FBI maintains the The FBI maintains the largest crime lab in the largest crime lab in the worldworld

A forensics crime lab is A forensics crime lab is similar to a medical lab similar to a medical lab except it is geared toward except it is geared toward testing evidence and testing evidence and linking it to a suspect or linking it to a suspect or crimecrime

Crime LabCrime Lab State and local crime labs may have the State and local crime labs may have the

following divisions:following divisions:1.1. Physical science unit—examine drugs, soil, Physical science unit—examine drugs, soil,

glass, paint, blood spatter, and other trace glass, paint, blood spatter, and other trace evidenceevidence

2.2. A firearms unit to examine tool marks, A firearms unit to examine tool marks, weapons, firearms, and ballisticsweapons, firearms, and ballistics

3.3. Document analysis unit to examine Document analysis unit to examine handwriting, word processing, and computer handwriting, word processing, and computer applicationsapplications

4.4. Biology unit to examine body fluids, DNA, Biology unit to examine body fluids, DNA, blood, hair, fibers, insects, and plant lifeblood, hair, fibers, insects, and plant life

Crime LabCrime Lab These professionals assist These professionals assist

the crime labs and are the the crime labs and are the most skilled forensic scientistmost skilled forensic scientist

Pathologist—deals with the Pathologist—deals with the nature of disease and the nature of disease and the affects on the human body affects on the human body (assaults, rapes, and abuse)(assaults, rapes, and abuse)

Anthropologist—studies Anthropologist—studies skeletal remains to skeletal remains to determine the age, sex, and determine the age, sex, and race of the deceased, injuries race of the deceased, injuries or illnesses the person or illnesses the person suffered, and establish time suffered, and establish time of deathof death

Odontologists—helps identify Odontologists—helps identify unknown corpses by unknown corpses by matching dental patterns matching dental patterns with X-Rays, Casts, and with X-Rays, Casts, and photographsphotographs

Crime LabCrime Lab Entomologists—study of Entomologists—study of

insects. Study life cycles insects. Study life cycles of insects that feed on of insects that feed on the human bodythe human body

Psychiatrists—study the Psychiatrists—study the sanity or competence of sanity or competence of someone to stand trial or someone to stand trial or profile criminalsprofile criminals

Serologist—deals with Serologist—deals with blood and other body blood and other body fluidsfluids

Toxicologists—deals with Toxicologists—deals with drugs and poisonsdrugs and poisons

Botanists—examines Botanists—examines plant residue at crime plant residue at crime scenesscenes

Crime Lab ActivityCrime Lab Activity

Crime Lab drawing that includes the Crime Lab drawing that includes the units discussed and five visuals for units discussed and five visuals for each unit along with medical each unit along with medical technicians visualstechnicians visuals

http://investigation.discovery.com/inhttp://investigation.discovery.com/investigation/forensics/forensic-lab-touvestigation/forensics/forensic-lab-tour.htmlr.html

Testifying in CourtTestifying in Court In the United States In the United States

court system, both sides court system, both sides on trial attempt to out-on trial attempt to out-argue each otherargue each other

Each side attempts to Each side attempts to present evidence that present evidence that favors their argument favors their argument and discredit the and discredit the opposition’s argumentopposition’s argument

Each side attempts to Each side attempts to bring in an “expert bring in an “expert witness” to support or witness” to support or refute the testimony of refute the testimony of the expert witnessthe expert witness

Testifying in CourtTestifying in Court

The EW must establish his or her The EW must establish his or her creditability through credentials, creditability through credentials, background, and experiencebackground, and experience

The side that calls on an EW asks The side that calls on an EW asks supportive questions and the supportive questions and the opposition side ask tough questionsopposition side ask tough questions

The EW must make their honest The EW must make their honest opinions clear, concise, and opinions clear, concise, and believablebelievable

Testifying in CourtTestifying in Court The real goal of court The real goal of court

proceedings is to proceedings is to provide enough provide enough evidence so a jury can evidence so a jury can reach an understandable reach an understandable version of the truthversion of the truth

Hard to get to that point Hard to get to that point because some evidence because some evidence is not admissible in is not admissible in court because they were court because they were obtained improperly, obtained improperly, contaminated, or a chain contaminated, or a chain of custody was of custody was compromisedcompromised

Testifying in CourtTestifying in Court Judges typically allow a Judges typically allow a

great deal of leeway to great deal of leeway to EW on how they present EW on how they present their informationtheir information

EW is allowed to go EW is allowed to go beyond normal questions beyond normal questions and answers because and answers because their technical testimony their technical testimony needs an explanation to needs an explanation to a person who does not a person who does not have knowledge of their have knowledge of their fieldfield

Rarely is an EW allowed Rarely is an EW allowed to express in his or her to express in his or her testimony as an absolutetestimony as an absolute

Testimony ActivityTestimony Activity

Graphic Organizer about the Graphic Organizer about the similarities and differences of police similarities and differences of police officers, lawyers, and forensic officers, lawyers, and forensic scientistsscientists

CSI Effect and Common CSI Effect and Common MythsMyths

The CSI effect is a reference The CSI effect is a reference to the phenomenon of to the phenomenon of popular television shows such popular television shows such as the CSI franchise raising as the CSI franchise raising real-world expectations of real-world expectations of forensic science, especially forensic science, especially crime scene investigation and crime scene investigation and DNA testing.DNA testing.

Writers of forensic science Writers of forensic science television—glamorizes the television—glamorizes the field, overstating the field, overstating the accuracy of forensic accuracy of forensic techniques, and exaggerating techniques, and exaggerating the abilities of forensicthe abilities of forensic

Everyone is an arm chair Everyone is an arm chair expert on forensicsexpert on forensics

Common MythsCommon Myths

1.1. The quick death—The quick death—almost no one dies almost no one dies instantly but from instantly but from bleeding bleeding

2.2. The pretty death—real The pretty death—real dead people are uglydead people are ugly

3.3. The bleeding corpse—The bleeding corpse—real corpses do not real corpses do not bleedbleed

4.4. The exact time of The exact time of death—no known death—no known exact time of deathexact time of death

Common MythsCommon Myths

The one-punch knockoutThe one-punch knockout The disappearing black eye—it takes a The disappearing black eye—it takes a

couple of weeks for a black eye to healcouple of weeks for a black eye to heal The fast-acting poison—Acute poisoning The fast-acting poison—Acute poisoning

most often takes several daysmost often takes several days The instant athleteThe instant athlete The high tech crime lab—not as The high tech crime lab—not as

glamorous and not as much fancy glamorous and not as much fancy equipmentequipment

Final ActivityFinal Activity

Timeline of significant dates and Timeline of significant dates and events in forensic science historyevents in forensic science history

Must create a time line online or Must create a time line online or draw one describing 15 major events draw one describing 15 major events in forensic science historyin forensic science history