1. Chapter 2 Interrogation and Forensic Reporting
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2. The Last Drive
October 24, 1994
Susan Smith claims she was carjacked with her children still inside the car
Parts of her testimony don’t make sense
Local sheriff works with FBI to develop questions and strategies to get Smith to confess
Smith was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison 2
Forensic Science II: Title, Chapter #
Forensic Science II: Interrogation and Forensic Reporting, Chapter 2
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved

3. Historical Development (Obj 2.1, 2.2)
England
1115 — The Laws of Henry I outlined the legal customs during that reign
1748 — the first magistrate appointed to prosecute criminals
1829 — Peel introduced the Metropolitan Police Act, creating the first modern police force
Forensic Science II: Interrogation and Forensic Reporting, Chapter 2
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved

4. Historical Development (Obj 2.1, 2.2)
The United States
1790 — NY City has a fully operational daytime paid police force
U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney General position created by the U.S. constitution
1908 — the DOJ organizes a group of 34 special agents and called the Bureau of Investigation
Forensic Science II: Interrogation and Forensic Reporting, Chapter 2
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved

5. Ethics (Obj 2.3)
Ethics is a set of guidelines— written and unwritten—that explain appropriate conduct for a particular situation or profession.
A written code of ethics describes a process for enforcing appropriate conduct by a profession’s members and usually establishes a system for the investigation and resolution of alleged unethical conduct.
Forensic Science II: Interrogation and Forensic Reporting, Chapter 2
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved

6. Ethics (Obj 2.3) The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)
Forensic Science II: Interrogation and Forensic Reporting, Chapter 2
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved

7. Bias (Obj 2.3) Criminal investigations must try to avoid bias
Minimize preconceived notions about any aspect of the case - such as victim or suspect
Bias can affect the evaluation
Forensic Science II: Interrogation and Forensic Reporting, Chapter 2
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved