1. Forensic Techniques

2. What is Forensic Science?
Forensic comes from the Latin word forensis.
It means: for public discussion or debate.
Forensic science is science used in public, in a court or in the justice system. Any science, used for the purposes of the law, is a forensic science.

3. Forensic Scientists Television enhances the image of forensic science.
Forensic scientists are involved in all aspects of criminal cases.
The forensic scientist's goal is to use all available scientific information to determine the facts and, subsequently, the truth.
The forensic scientist might determine:
The validity of a signature on a will,
If a corporation is complying with environmental laws,
The origin of physical evidence at a crime scene.

4. Forensic Scientists
The facts developed by forensic scientists are based on scientific investigation, not circumstantial evidence or the sometimes unreliable testimony of witnesses.
The work of the forensic scientist can prove the existence of a crime or makes connections to a crime.
The forensic scientist provides information and expert opinion to investigators, attorneys, judges, and juries which is helpful in determining the innocence or guilt of the accused.
Forensic scientists work closely with police officers, sheriff's deputies, prosecuting and defense attorneys, DEA, CIA, and FBI agents, immigration workers, and crime scene investigators, to name a few.

5. Techniques
Forensic scientists use a variety of techniques in their investigations.
The next 8 slides provide examples of forensic techniques.

6. Firearms and Toolmarks
Typically, this includes matching bullets to the gun that fired them.
Match knife to cutting characteristics seen/recorded/found
Toolmark identification involves the identifying characteristics between tools, such as a pry bar, and the object on which it is used, such as a door frame.
Also included in the category are explosives and imprint evidence.

7. Forensic Profiling
When a specially trained psychiatrist or investigator can examine certain crime scenes to come up with a personality profile of the offender.  

8. Document Examination
This discipline involves all special relationships that may exist between document and inscription and how it relates to a person or sequence of events.
This includes forgery, counterfeiting, and handwriting analysis.

9. Autopsy Done by a medical examiner; earliest technique
To determine cause of death
Includes external exam and photos
Followed by extensive internal exam:
Organs are removed, weighed and examined
Tissues and fluids are analyzed for abnormalities, presence of drugs, etc.

10. DNA Typing Most recent technique
DNA code varies from one individual to the next
Scientists can link a strand of DNA to an individual
DNA can be identified from hair, blood, or body fluid stains
Provides powerfully compelling evidence

11. Forensic Anthropology
Examination of skeletal remains
Tells if male or female, how the person lived, past illness or debilitation, clues to occupation
Bones can tell us:
Age at time of death
Gender
Race
Height

12. Odontology Teeth – no other body part lasts longer
In fires, often the only thing remaining
No two people have identical teeth
Dental records are needed to compare to the evidence
Teeth useful in determining a subject’s age

13. Blood
Chemical (Luminol) test can determine if substance (stains) is really blood
Another chemical (Precipatin) test determines if it is animal or human blood
Can determine gender from blood evidence; by Barr Bodies on Neutraphils