prentice hall ©2007 pearson education, inc. upper saddle river, nj 07458 1- criminalistics an...

PRENTICE HALL ©2007 Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 1-

CRIMINALISTICS An Introduction to Forensic Science, 9/EBy Richard Saferstein 1

Chapter 1Introduction



Definition• Application of science to criminal

and civil laws • Application of science to those

criminal and civil laws• Enforced by police agencies in a

criminal justice system



History and Development of Forensic Science

Important Names



History• Mathieu Orfila—the father of forensic

toxicology. • Alphonse Bertillion—devised the first

scientific system of personal identification in 1879.

• Francis Galton—conducted the first definitive study of fingerprints and their classification.



History• Leone Lattes—developed a

procedure to determine blood type from dried bloodstains.

• Calvin Goddard—used a comparison microscope to determine if a particular gun fired a bullet.

• Albert Osborn—developed the fundamental principles of document examination.



Figure 1–1 Bertillon’s system of bodily measurements as used for the identification of an individual. Courtesy Sirchie Finger Print Laboratories, Inc., Youngsville, N.C., www.sirchie.com.

http://www.sirchie.com/



History• Walter McCrone—utilized

microscopy and other analytical methodologies to examine evidence.

• Hans Gross—wrote the first treatise describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation.



History• Edmond Locard—incorporared

Gross’ principles within a workable crime laboratory.

• Locard’s Exchange Principle—states that when a criminal comes in contact with an object or person, a cross-transfer of evidence occurs.



The Crime Lab• Rapid growth • Lack of national and regional

planning and coordination. • Approximately 350 public

crime laboratories



The Crime Lab• Result of:

– Supreme court decisions in the 1960s•Greater emphasis on scientifically

evaluated evidence– Drug specimens

•Accelerated drug abuse– DNA profiling



Employment OutlookEmployment Outlook• Increased reliance by police

agencies on civilian personnel• Highly‑sophisticated scientific

analysis of evidence• DNA databank of convicted

offenders (state & national)• Re‑opening of old cases



Crime Lab Organization



Five Basic ServicesFive Basic Services– Physical science unit:

•Chemistry•Physics•Geology•Identify and compare physical evidence

– Biology unit:•Blood samples•Body fluids•Hair•Fiber samples



Five Basic Services– Firearms Unit:

•Discharged bullets•Cartridge cases•Shotgun shells•Ammunition

– Document unit:•Handwriting analysis•Other questioned-document



Technical Support– Photographic Unit:

•Specialized photographic techniques•Record and examine physical

evidence– Optional services

•Toxicology•Fingerprint analysis•Voiceprint analysis•Evidence collection•Polygraph administration



Functions of the Forensic Scientist



Job Activities: analysisJob Activities: analysis• Biological and physical

analysis of evidence gathered from a crime or accident scene

• Judicial “generally accepted” (Frye v. US)

• Trial judge as gatekeeper



Job Activities: testimonyJob Activities: testimony• Court testimony• “Expert” witness• Evaluation of evidence• Opinion offered• No absolute certainty



The Frye Standard• Set guidelines for determining the

admissibility of scientific evidence into the courtroom

• Must be “generally accepted” by the scientific community



Daubert Criteria• Technique/theory tested• Peer reviewed• Rate of error• Standards for operation• Widespread acceptance within

scientific community



Job Activities: trainingJob Activities: training• Training in recognition,

collection and preservation of evidence

• Agencies without 24/7 evidence techs

• Officers trained



Special Forensic Science Services



Additional SpecializationAdditional Specialization• DNA analysis

– Human– Non human

• Criminalistics• Latent prints• Pollen• Arson• Engineering

sciences

• Physical anthropology

• Psychiatry• Pathology• Odontology• Toxicology• Entomology• Geology• Jurisprudence



Figure 1–8 Typical blowfly life cycle from egg deposition to adult fly emergence. This cycle is representative of any one of the nearly ninety species of blowflies in North America. Courtesy E. P. Catts, Ph.D., deceased, and Neal H. Haskell, Ph.D., forensic entomology consultant www.forensic-entomology.com.

http://www.forensic-entomology.com/



Forensic Pathology• Investigation of unnatural,

unexplained, or violent deaths• Medical examiners or coroners• Determines cause of death• Conducts autopsy



Stages Of Death• Rigor mortis

– Shortening of muscle tissue– Stiffening of body parts in the position

at death– First 24 hours to 36 hours post mortem



Stages Of Death– Livor mortis

•Settling of blood in areas of the body closest to the ground

•Begins immediately on death and continues up to 12 hours



Stages Of Death– Algor mortis

•Loss of heat by a body•Begins about an hour after death

•Loses heat by 1 to 1-1/2 degrees fahrenheit per hour until the body reaches the environmental temperature



SummarySummary


CRIMINALISTICS An Introduction to Forensic Science, 9/EBy Richard Saferstein

• 1. Ted Bundy was an American serial killer who was convicted on the basis of which type of forensic evidence?

• A. Bite marks C. DNA fingerprinting

• B. Latent fingerprints D. Ballistics

30



Answer #1• 1. Ted Bundy was an American serial

killer who was convicted on the basis of which type of forensic evidence?

• A. Bite marks • B. Latent fingerprints • C. DNA fingerprinting • D. Ballistics

31



• 2. The time of death can be calculated by various means. One is rigor mortis, Latin for 'the stiffness of death'. Another indication is livor mortis or lividity. What does this term refer to?

• A. Cloudiness in the eyes• B. Gravitational pooling of blood • C. Degree of digestion of stomach contents• D. Relaxation of muscles following to rigor

mortis

32



Answer #2• 2. The time of death can be calculated by various

means. One is rigor mortis, Latin for 'the stiffness of death'. Another indication is livor mortis or lividity. What does this term refer to?

• A. Cloudiness in the eyes• B. Gravitational pooling of blood • C. Degree of digestion of stomach contents• D. Relaxation of muscles following to rigor mortis

Livor is Latin for 'a black and blue spot' and refers to the discoloration of the skin in the lowest part of a body resulting from the gravitational pooling of blood.

33



• 3. When attempting to identify a skeleton, craniofacial morphology (the structure and form of the skull and face) is the best indicator of race. One group of human beings has a unique, rounded jaw bone which is called a 'rocker jaw'. This is a characteristic of which ethnic group?

• A. Australian Aborigines C. African Americans

• B. Chinese D. Hawaiians

34



Answer #3• 3. When attempting to identify a skeleton, craniofacial

morphology (the structure and form of the skull and face) is the best indicator of race. One group of human beings has a unique, rounded jaw bone which is called a 'rocker jaw'. This is a characteristic of which ethnic group?

• A. Australian Aborigines C. African Americans

• B. Chinese D. Hawaiians

35

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