1. Evidence & the Courts Aim: How are Forensic Scientists effected by court constraints? HW: Research Assignment Due Friday

2. Do Now CASE: –With no apparent motive, a young man commits a savage attack in his neighborhood. The man’s community knows about the incident, but cannot implicate him. The man’s conscience eats at him until he confesses and turns himself in for punishment. THE MYSTERY: –Who is the man and what weapon did he use in the attack? CLUES: 1.The police were not involved and no blood appeared on the weapon. 2.The weapon could be held in one hand or two. 3.The man led many more attacks in his career. 4.The man went on to become a famous Father. 5.The weapon was used in his family’s backyard. 6.The man has a U.S. city named after him. THE ANSWER: George Washington used an axe to chop down his father’s cherry tree.

3. Evidence & the Courts Forensic Scientists need to be aware of court constraints Their procedures and techniques need to satisfy what is admissible(acceptable/valid)

4. Types of Evidence Testimonial vs.Physical Statement made under oath Direct Evidence Any object or material relevant to a crime Real Evidence

5. Frye vs. United States (1923) Rejected validity of lie detector evidence Science techniques, procedures, & principles must be “GENERALLY ACCEPTED” by majority of scientific community You now need experts who can testify Is evidence reliable w/o expert support?

6. Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993) “GENERAL ACCEPTANCE” of evidence is no longer absolute judge decides whether evidence/testimony is reliable & relevant (admissible) Is evidence tested, peer reviewed, what’s the rate of error, etc…

7. The Expert Witness A person with knowledge that is not expected from the average individual This is acquired through experience, training, and education, Forensic Science Evidence may determine guilt as long as an expert can testify about methods and conclusions How would a prosecutor question an expert witness? How would a defense lawyer question an expert witness?

9. Testimony canExpert witnesses can give their OPINIONS based on scientific facts (but can’t be biased to either side) cannotOrdinary witnesses cannot & must not give their opinions  just FACTS!

10. According to The Innocence Project (2008) "Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned through DNA testing." Still, the criminal justice system profoundly relies on eyewitness identification and testimony for investigating and prosecuting crimes (Wells & Olson, 2003). Source: http://www.helium.com/items/1276135-accurate-eyewitness-accounts Did you know? What factors affect a person’s memory and their ability to identify a suspect?

11. What is testimonial evidence? How reliable can a witness be? Points to consider: –Type of crime –How witness saw it –Victims of serious crimes –Children and elderly –Interviewing techniques

13. Crime Scene Challenge Now that your eyes and brain are warmed up, let’s test your observation skills a bit more. You will have 2 minutes to study the photograph of a crime scene on the next slide. Try to pay attention to details as you will be asked 10 questions about the crime scene! You are not allowed to write anything down until after the time is up. Ready?

15. Answer each question below. 1. What color coffee mug was in the picture? Blue Red Yellow 2. When was the deadline? Yesterday Today Tomorrow 3. What time was on the clock on the wall? 10:40 11:05 1:55 4. How many sticky notes were on the whiteboard? Four Six Eight 5. Which of the following was NOT in the picture? Stapler Trash Can Printer 6. What was the name on the plaque on the desk? Bill Brian Carl 7. What color was the victim's shirt? Black Blue Red 8. How many plants were in the picture? None One Two 9. What was the color of the marker in the desk drawer? Red Blue Green 10. Where was the book in the picture? On a box In the trash can Under the body Source: http://forensics.rice.edu/html/picture_begin.html

16. Facial Composites Investigators work with sketch artists and eyewitnesses to create facial composites, or sketches of a person’s face. Today many police departments are using facial reconstruction software to help them with this task. The composite may be used internally to assist officers in identifying the suspect or used externally through local media (radio, TV, and newspaper) to solicit leads from citizens. FACES – A software program that offers many options to help you recreate a person’s facial features.

17. 1.The shape of the face 2.The shape of the jaw 3.The shape of the eyes 4.The shape of the nose 5.The width of the neck 6.The shape & protrusion of the ears 7.The presence of facial piercing 8.The presence of facial hair, its color, & location 9.The presence of facial markings, such as scars or tattoos 10.Forehead or other facial lines 11.The presence of eyeglasses or sunglasses 12.The length, color, & texture of the person’s hair faces program online What are some aspects of an individual that you should pay close attention to in order to generate a good facial composite ?

18. Check this out! Facial reconstruction video clip

19. What is physical evidence? Forensic scientists is most interested in physical evidence It is the task of a scientist to look @ evidence and determine it’s identity and origin

20. What is physical evidence? Physical properties –Color, density Chemical properties –How substance reacts, –Odor change –PH change

21. What is physical evidence? More reliable Can prove a crime was committed Can link a suspect with a victim or with crime scene

22. Summary Frye vs. United States Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Expert Witness Testimonial Witness Witness/Suspect Factors Facial Composites Physical evidence

23. Evidence & the Courts Aim: How are Forensic Scientists effected by court constraints? (cont’d…) HW: Research Assignment Due Friday

24. 1. In Knoxville, Tennessee, there is a research facility, popularly known as 'the Body Farm', where research is conducted into the nature of human decomposition and the factors which affect the rate at which it occurs. Who was responsible for the creation of this facility? A. Ernest T Bass B. Gil Grissom C. Bill Clinton D. William Bass 2. What is studied in forensic palynology? A.Pollens and spores C. Soils B. Dust D. Fossilized micro-organisms 3. If you know what to look for, you can tell a male from a female skull. Which of the following statements is FALSE about a male skull? A. It is usually larger.C. It has a heavier jaw. B. It has a more prominent brow ridge. D. It has a more rounded chin. 4. In October 1974 part of a male torso was found floating in the River Thames in England. Several parts, including the head and hands, were missing so police could not use the usual methods of fingerprints, facial features and dental records to identify the corpse. How was it eventually identified? A. Presence of gallstonesC. Skeletal characteristics on x-rays B. Blood type D. All the choices are correct.

25. 1. In Knoxville, Tennessee, there is a research facility, popularly known as 'the Body Farm', where research is conducted into the nature of human decomposition and the factors which affect the rate at which it occurs. Who was responsible for the creation of this facility? A. Ernest T Bass B. Gil Grissom C. Bill Clinton D. William Bass 2. What is studied in forensic palynology? A.Pollens and spores C. Soils B. Dust D. Fossilized micro-organisms 3. If you know what to look for, you can tell a male from a female skull. Which of the following statements is FALSE about a male skull? A. It is usually larger.C. It has a heavier jaw. B. It has a more prominent brow ridge. D. It has a more rounded chin. 4. In October 1974 part of a male torso was found floating in the River Thames in England. Several parts, including the head and hands, were missing so police could not use the usual methods of fingerprints, facial features and dental records to identify the corpse. How was it eventually identified? A. Presence of gallstonesC. Skeletal characteristics on x-rays B. Blood type D. All the choices are correct. The official name of the body farm is the Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility (TARF) but some of Bass’s colleagues call it the Bass Anthropological Research Facility or BARF. This case made legal history because it was the first time a body was identified without fingerprints or dental records. It belonged to a petty criminal called William Henry Moseley.

26. Think-Write-Pair-Share You will get one partner You will read one article on the CSI effect You will write down important summary information Your partner will read a different article on the CSI effect and write down important summary information You will share your summary with them and they will share their summary with you

27. Tell the Tale Lab The CSI team has just finished examining, sampling, and photographing a bloody stairwell. What appears to be a man’s arm is lying at the top of the stairs. The arm is quite large and hairy, and has a wedding ring on the ring finger Near the arm is a women’s purse, splattered with blood. Leading away from the arm are two sets of bloody footprints, one pair larger than the other. You and your investigative team are assigned the job of learning as much as possible about the owner of the purse form its contents

28. Record the Following in the Data Table Who owns the purse? When was the last date the owner had this purse? Can any recent events that occurred in the life of its owner be determined?