1. Chapter 3: Observation Skills

2. What is an observation A forensic investigator must be able to clearly
Observe
Interpret
Report
Collect all evidence without making a judgement about its importance
A crime scene is often laid out in a grid to ensure all evidence is found

3. What is an observation
We are constantly gathering information about our surroundings by using our senses
Our brains select what information we take in; we unconsciously apply a filter
We pay attention to things that are more likely to be important to us
Paying attention to the details of your surroundings requires conscious effort

4. What is an observation
Perception: the way you think about or understand someone or something
Our perception is
Limited
Faulty
The way we view our surroundings may not always be accurate
Not always a reflective view of reality
Our brains will fill in information that is not there
If we are reading a sentence and a word is missing we will usually not notice the omission, instead we predict the word that should be there and keep reading
Explore activity: have students perform an activity that illustrates perception (having them touch an unseen object and guess how the perceive the object)
Ask students what observations they can make about the classroom (was a test given last period, was there a demonstration of some kind, what evidence do they have)
Have students recall what I was doing when they entered the classroom, can they remember details

5. How information is processed in the brain

6. Observations By Witnesses
Key part to any investigation is observations by witnesses
Eyewitness accounts of crime scene events vary considerably from one person to another
What you observe depends on
Your level of interest
Your stress levels
Concentration
The amount and kind of distraction present
Our prejudices
Personal beliefs
Motives
Any lapse in time since the event

7. Eyewitness Accounts
When evaluating eyewitness testimony, the investigator must discriminate between fact and opinion.
Witnesses have to describe what they saw(eyewitness evidence) not what they thought happened (opinion)
Someone running from the site of a shooting might imply guilt but could also be an innocent bystander running away in fear of being shot
Once the eyewitness examination is complete the examiner must piece together the events in a logical pattern of events
Next step is to determine if the pattern of events is verified by the physical evidence

8. Check for understanding 1
A forensic investigator must be able to(3 things)
What are 5 things that effect what we observe
The way you think or understand someone or something
After the eyewitness interview the investigator must
Why is it that an eyewitness observation may not be the most reliable
(this won’t be found on a specific slide, use all the information covered so far to answer it-At least 5 sentences)

9. The innocence project
Created by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld in at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York
Purpose is to reexamine post-conviction cases using DNA evidence to provide conclusive proof of guilt or innocence
Out of 200 wrongful convictions the Innocence project found that faulty eyewitness identification contributed to 87% of those wrongful convictions

10. How to be a good observer
Observe Systematically
We are not naturally inclined to pay attention to all of the details of our surroundings so at a crime scene you must
Start at one part of a crime scene and run your eyes slowly over every space
Look carefully at everything you see
When looking at a piece of evidence under a microscope slide, look systematically at every part of the evidence

11. How to be a good observer
Turn Off Filters
We are naturally inclined to filter out unimportant information so at a crime scene you must
Consciously observe everything; no matter how small or familiar
Act like a data-gathering robot

12. How to be a good observer
Avoid Jumping To Conclusions
We are naturally inclined to interpret what we see, to look for patterns, and make connections; at a crime scene you should
Concentrate on gathering all the available information
Leave the interpretation until all information is gathered

13. How to be a good observer
Compensate for Faulty Memories
Write down and photograph as much information as possible
Documentation is also important when acting as an expert witness
Even the verbal testimony of a forensic scientist requires proper documentation

14. Observations In Forensics
Forensic Scientist
Uses science to help in legal matters; like a crime
Are strictly concerned with uncovering evidence that stands as fact
Aren’t interested in making the suspect look guilty
Only interested in collecting and examining physical evidence
Reports the evidence to investigators and courts

15. What forensic scientist do
Find, examine, and evaluate evidence from a crime scene
Good observation skills are key
Act as expert witnesses for the prosecution
Be able to convince a jury that their analysis is both reliable and accurate
Forensic specialist deal with specific types of evidence
Ballistics, pathologist, textile, blood splatter, vehicle, animal experts, etc.

16. Check for understanding 2
What is the purpose of the Innocence Project
3 things forensic scientist do
What are the 4 things you can do to be a good observer
Writing everything down and taking pictures help with what when it comes to being a good observer
Why is it important to observe a crime scene systematically
Why should we avoid jumping to conclusions at a crime scene