0. Chapter 1 Introduction to Forensic Science
8:21
“In school, every period ends with a bell. Every sentence ends with a period. Every crime ends with a sentence.”
—Stephen Wright, comedian
Kendall/Hunt

1. Introduction Objectives: Define forensic science
Understand the growth and development of forensic science through history
Describe the steps used in the scientific method
Account for rapid growth of forensic labs in the past 40 years

2. Warm-Up Question
What is forensic science?

3. Chapter 1
Forensic Science
Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws.
The word forensic is derived from the Latin “forensis” meaning forum, a public place where, in Roman times, senators and others debated and held judicial proceedings.
We will cover the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.
Forensic science applies the knowledge and technology of science to the definitiion and enforcement of such laws.
Over the last couple decades crime rates have increased, and in response to this and public concern, law enforcement agencies have expanded their investigative functions. Law enforcement looks to the scienctific community for advice and technical support for their efforts.
Forensic science holds a unique role in the criminal justice system – a role that relates to the scientist’s ability to supply accurate information
Kendall/Hunt

4. Why study Forensic Science?
Chapter 1
Why study Forensic Science?
You will use science to study physical evidence, such as fingerprints and blood
Learn how to investigate and analyze crime scenes
Understand how forensic science is used in the service of the law
Video - what is forensic science?
8:32
Kendall/Hunt

5. Ted Bundy, Serial Killer
Chapter 1
Ted Bundy, Serial Killer
Responsible for 40
murders between 1964 and
1978
His victims were typically young women and murdered with a blunt instrument or strangulation
He was charged with murder based on matching bite marks on victim’s body
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
Kendall/Hunt

6. Forensic science encompasses many different sciences
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Geology
Computer Technology

7. Chapter 1
If you want to pursue a career in the field of forensic science, want to work with police and solve crimes, that entails studying multiple courses of science and criminal justice. Biology, anatomy, chemistry, serology, toxicology, pathology, genetics. You’ll be learning to use technology and instruments to analyze blood, hair, chemicals, drugs.
There are many aspects of to forensics. What you see in crime shows, you see people collecting evidence at crime scene and figure out what happened, bring evidence to crime lab and analyze it, evidence is brought to court, scientists testify to either support or refute a claim or allegation (prove a suspect is innocent or guilty). There is not one person doing all these jobs…you have a team of people working together to investigate a crime, forensic scientists, forensic technicians, crime scene investigators, police. Prosecuting attorney use evidence in court.
Kendall/Hunt

8. Professions that practice Forensic Science
Chapter 1
Professions that practice Forensic Science
Criminalistics
Toxicology
Odontology
Pathology/Biology
Physical Anthropology
Digital and Multimedia Sciences
Criminalistics - application of scientific techniques in collecting and analyzing physical evidence in criminal cases
Forensic Toxicology - perform scientific tests on bodily fluids and tissue samples to identify any drugs or chemicals present in the body.
Odontology - specially trained dentists who use their expertise to help identify unknown remains and trace bite marks to a specific individual.
Pathology - or medical examiners, are specially trained physicians who examine the bodies of people who died suddenly, unexpectedly, or violently.  The forensic pathologist is responsible for determining the cause (the ultimate and immediate reasons for the cessation of life) and manner of death (homicide, suicide, accidental, natural, or unknown).
Anthropology - are experts in analyzing human remains. Educated in osteology, or the study of bones. Using this knowledge, a forensic anthropologist can look at human remains and determine how the person died; whether it was suicide, homicide, accidental, or from natural causes. Using human bones the forensic anthropologist can determine the age of the individuals, the sex, the height, the type of occupation they worked in and the overall health status at the time of death.
8:41
Kendall/Hunt

9. Project History of the Development of Forensic Science Due Date:
You will choose a topic or scientist that somehow contributed to the development of forensic science. me your topic. This is a first come first serve basis.
Create a small poster that describes your event or person.
You are to research the topic and provide the following information to the class.
It should include:
A detailed summary of the event or person describing their significance in the development of forensic science.
All work should be written/typed in a font large enough to read
Heading or Title at the top of the poster
The date when the event took place under the heading.
At least one picture, photo or drawing.
 Please reference your source(s) on the back.
Your name and block on the back.

10. History and Development of Forensic Science
Chapter 1
History and Development of Forensic Science
Earliest record of applying forensics to solve a criminal case comes from third century China
A woman in China was suspected of murdering her husband and burning his body.
A coroner experimented with pigs and determined the wife had lied about her husband’s death
Mathieu Orfila – Spaniard, published first scientfic treatise on the detection of poisons and hteir effects on animals.
Kendall/Hunt

11. Forensic Science Timeline
Orfila (1814) father of forensic toxicology
Bertillon (1879) father of criminal identification (anthropometry)
Galton (1892) first to study and classify fingerprints
Landsteiner (1901) discovered A,B,O blood types
Lattes (1915) developed a simple technique for identifying blood group of dried blood stains

12. 1814 - Mathieu Bonaventure Orfila
In 1814, published the first scientific study of the effects of poisons on animals
Father of forensic toxicology
In 1840, gave expert testimony in a French arsenic poisoning murder case

13. Alphonse Bertillon
Considered the Father of criminal identification
Developed the science of measurement called Anthropometry
Based on taking a specific series of body measurements as a means of personal identification

14. Anthropometry There were eleven measurements: Height
Stretch: Length of body from left shoulder to right middle finger when arm is raised
Bust: Length of torso from head to seat, taken when seate
Length of head: Crown to forehead
Width of head: Temple to temple
Length of right ear
Length of left foot
Length of left middle finger
Length of left cubit: Elbow to tip of middle finger
Width of cheeks
Length of left pinky

15. History and Development of Forensic Science
Chapter 1
Hans Gross—wrote the first treatise describing the application of scientific principles to the field of criminal investigation.
Edmond Locard—incorporated 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.
Locard help solve a case involving counterfeit coins
Gross – A pioneer in the use of the scientific method in criminal investigation.
Locard – Applied Gross’s principles to criminal investigations. Early 1900s, in France, created a police laboratory, did research. His research and accomplishments became known thorughtout the world by forensic scientists. He belivedd that every criminal can be connected to a crime by dust particles carried from the crime scene.
Kendall/Hunt

16. Locard Principle in Action
You have 2 children and a cat. You run out to take care of some errands that include stopping at a furniture store, the laundry, and the house of a friend who has one child and a dog. From a forensic standpoint, this sequence of events can provide a gold mine of information.
What “traces” of you are left behind at each stop?
What evidence of each stop do you take with you?

17. Crime Laboratories
A facility specifically dedicated to forensic analysis of criminal evidence.

18. Crime Lab History
First police crime lab in the world was established in France in 1910 by Edmond Locard
First police crime lab in the U.S. opened in 1923 in Los Angeles
The first FBI crime lab opened in 1932, under the directorship of J. Edgar Hoover
Video 1 Boulder Crime Lab
Video 2 Utah Crime Lab
Video 3 Boston Bombing

19. Chapter 1
The Crime Lab
The development of crime laboratories in the United States has been characterized by rapid growth
At present, approximately 400 public crime laboratories operate at various levels of government—federal, state, county, and municipal.
Many of these facilities function as part of a police department, others operate under the direction of the prosecutor’s or district attorney’s office. Far fewer are affiliated with universities.
Kendall/Hunt

20. Chapter 1
The Crime Lab
The ever increasing number of crime laboratories is partly the result of the following:
Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s responsible for police placing greater emphasis on scientifically evaluated evidence.
Crime laboratories inundated with drug specimens due to accelerated drug abuse.
The increase of DNA profiling.
Vast amounts of evidence collected include traces of blood, hair, saliva residues left behind on stamps, bite marks at crime scenes. Crime lab numbers and staff numbers have increased to meet the demands of DNA technology.
A major problem facing the forensic DNA community is the backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples for crime scenes. The number of unanalyzed casework DNA samples reported by state and national agencies is more than 57,000.
Kendall/Hunt

21. Major Crime Laboratories
Chapter 1
Major Crime Laboratories
FBI
DEA
ATF
U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Maintains the largest crime lab in the world. Located in Quantico, VA.
DEA – The Drug Enforcement Administration [enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States] labs – analyze drugs seized in violation of federal laws regulating the production, sale, and transporation of drugs.
ATF – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives labs – analyze alcoholic beverages and documents relating to alcohol and firearm excise tax law enforcement and examine weapons, explosive devices, and related evidence to enforce the Gun Control Act of 1968 ‪
Kendall/Hunt

22. Crime Lab—Basic Services
Physical Science Unit
Chemistry
Physics
Geology
Biology Unit
Firearms Unit
Document Examination Unit
Photography Unit

23. Physical Science Unit
Applies principals and techniques of chemistry, physics and geology to the identification and comparison of crime-scene evidence
Evidence can be drugs, glass, paint, explosives and soil

24. Biology Unit
Biologists and biochemists identify and perform DNA profiling
DNA can be extracted from bloodstains, body fluids, hairs
Compare and identify hairs and fibers, wood, plants and other botanical materials

25. Firearms Unit
Examine garments and other objects that might be exposed to gunshot residue and target distance
Examines firearms, discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells and ammunition of all types
Also examine tool marks

26. Document Examination Unit
Studies handwriting, typewriting on questioned documents
Determines authenticity and or certifies source of document
Analyzes paper, ink, writing depressions, obliterations, erasures, and burned or charged documents

27. Photography Unit Examines and records physical evidence
Uses digital imaging, infrared, ultraviolet and X-ray photography
Make invisible information visible
Demo

29. Optional Crime Laboratory Services
THESE SERVICES ARE FOUND IN
CENTRALIZED LABORATORIES:
TOXICOLOGY UNIT
LATENT FINGERPRINT UNIT
POLYGRAPH UNIT
VOICEPRINT ANALYSIS UNIT
CRIME-SCENE INVESTIGATION UNIT

30. Toxicology Unit
Examines body fluids and organs to determine the presence or absence of drugs or poisons

31. Latent Fingerprint Unit
Processes and examines evidence for latent (or non-visible) fingerprints or palm prints

32. Polygraph Unit
Polygraph (lie detector) technology is usually used by criminal investigators
Technicians are trained in interrogation techniques

33. Voiceprint Analysis
Believed that speech patterns are unique to an individual
Analysis of telephoned threats or taped messages
Uses sound spectrograph, that transforms speech into a visual graphic display called a voiceprint

34. Crime-scene Investigation Unit
Specially trained personnel that travel to a crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence
Must be able to distinguish between physical evidence that is valuable and that which is not

35. Special Forensic Science Services
A number of special forensic science services are available to the law enforcement community to augment the services of the crime laboratory.
These services include forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic entomology, forensic psychiatry, forensic odontology, forensic computer and digital analysis, and forensic engineering.

36. Special Forensic Science Services
Forensic Pathology involves the investigation of unnatural, unexplained, or violent deaths.
Forensic pathologists in their role as medical examiners or coroners are charged with determining cause of death.
The forensic pathologist may conduct an autopsy which is the medical dissection and examination of a body in order to determine the cause of death.

37. Special Forensic Science Services
Forensic Psychiatry is an area in which the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings is examined.
Forensic Odontology involves using teeth to provide information about the identification of victims when a body is left in an unrecognizable state. Also investigates bite marks.
Ted Bundy went to the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University where he sexually assaulted Lisa Levy. He also bit her, leaving clear bite marks. When Bundy was recaptured after a manhunt, he went on trial. Investigators took casts of Bundy’s teeth, which showed that his teeth were unevenly aligned and that several were chipped. A forensic dentist showed that these casts matched photographs of the bite mark from the body of Lisa Levy. If Bundy hadn’t bitten Levy, he may not have been found guilty.

38. Special Forensic Science Services
Forensic Anthropology deals with the identification and examination of human skeletal remains.
Forensic Engineering is concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and causes and origins of fires or explosions.
Forensic Entomologist – studies insects and their relation to a criminal investigation

39. Functions of a Forensic Scientist
Applies physical and natural science techniques to analyze the many types of physical evidence
(Only physical evidence is free of error or bias)
Subjects all physical evidence to principals of Scientific Method
Explain the significance of the results in a court of law as an expert witness

40. Video The Expert Witness
The expert witness presents scientific evidence in court. He/She will:
Establish credibility through credentials, background experience.
Evaluate evidence.
Expresses an opinion about the evidence.
The judge may accept or reject the opinion’s significance.
An expert witness is an individual whom the court determines possesses knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average person.
The expert witness is called on to evaluate evidence based on specialized training and experience that the court lacks the expertise to do.
The expert will then express an opinion as to the significance of the findings.
Forensic scientists also participate in training law enforcement personnel in the proper recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence
Video

41. Introduction to Forensic Science and the Law
Do Not Write!
Federal Rules of Evidence
In order for scientific evidence to be admitted in a court of law, it must be:
Probative: actually proves something
Material: addresses an issue that is relevant to the particular crime

42. From the 1923 case Frye v. United States
Admissibility of Evidence
The Frye Standard
From the 1923 case Frye v. United States
Scientific evidence is allowed into the courtroom if it is generally accepted by the relevant scientific community.
The Frye standard does not offer any guidance on reliability.
The evidence is presented in the trial and the jury decides if it can be used.

43. Admissibility of Evidence
The Daubert Ruling
From the 1993 case Daubert v. Dow
The judge decides if the evidence can be entered into the trial. Admissibility is determined by:
Whether the theory or technique can be tested
Whether the science has been offered for peer review
Whether the rate of error is acceptable
Whether the method at issue enjoys widespread acceptance
Whether the theory or technique follows standards

44. The Scientific Method
Scientific method – A process that uses strict guidelines to ensure careful and systematic collection, organization, and analysis of information
Formulate a question worthy of investigation.
Formulate a reasonable hypothesis to answer the question.
Test the hypothesis through experimentation.
Analyze data and validate of the hypothesis, it becomes suitable as scientific evidence.
Formulate a conclusion
*After evidence is validated, it becomes suitable as scientific evidence to be allowed for admission in a court of law
pHysical evidence must undergo scientific inquiry. Science derives its integrity from adherence to strict guidelines that ensure careful and systematic collection, organization, and analysis of information- process known as scientific method.

45. Exploring Forensic Science on the Internet
Chapter 1
Exploring Forensic Science on the Internet
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
Kendall/Hunt