1. Introduction to Forensics
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Unit #2
Intro to Forensics

2. What is FORENSIC SCIENCE?
Forensics includes the application of a broad range of science to answer questions in the legal system.
Forensics….
* Forensics is the application of science to criminal and civil law enforced by police in a criminal justice system.
* Incorporates techniques of Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Geology, Computer Tech to determine value (significance) of crime scenes or evidence.
* Forensics has extended to areas of pathology, psychology, anthropology, odontology that are used in the capacity of law enforcement.

3. Criminalistics vs Forensics
You may hear the term “criminalistics and forensics used in this class. Although there is overlap, the two terms are in fact different.
Criminalistics focuses only on the scientific approach to examine crime scenes and evidence (Bio, Chem, Phys, Geol, etc). Forensics uses a variety of techniques and principles to study evidence. Forensics also incorporates psychology, accounting, computer science, etc.
Criminalistics is only a branch of Forensic Science.
FORENSICS
Criminalistics

4. Common Branches of Forensic Science
Pathology
Odontology
Psychiatric
Crime Scene
Studies injury patterns and determines cause of death
Uses Dental information to identify bodies
Studies human behavior
Examines and collects evidence in a crime scene.
Digital Media
Ballistics
Toxicology
Questioned Documents
Photographs physical evidence and examines computer records
Examines fired guns and ammunition
Looks into detection of poisons
Analyzes ink, paper, toner and handwriting

5. History of Forensics First Use of Forensics 700 1775 1814 1850 - 1860
Yi Yu Ji - Coroner Solved a Case using Pigs
Chinese begin use of Fingerprints for Identification
Carl Wilhem Steel – First test that detects arsenic in corpses
Mathieu Orfila – Father of toxicology. Published a book on the effects
of poisons on animals. Toxicology evidence first used in 1839
Forensic Photography Introduced- Recorded inmate pictures and crime scene photos.
Alphonse Bertillon – Father of Anthropometry – Used body measurements for identification. This was replaced by fingerprints.
700
1775
1814
1879

6. History of Forensics
1893
Hans Gross – wrote a book about how science can help with criminal investigations
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- made foresnics popular with “Sherlock Holmes” Books. First to apply “Serology” (Study of bodily fluid)
Dr. Karl Landsteiner– First to discover that blood can be seperated into 4 types – A, B, O, and AB
Albert Osborn– Document Examination
Edmond Locard – Started first crime lab in an attic. Locard Exchange Principle states when two objects interact, they is an exchange of particles. So, all criminals pick up trace particles of the surrounding areas.
1899
1901
1910
1910

7. Locard’s Exchange Principle
"Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value."
Beginning of “Trace Evidence”

8. History of Forensics
1937
Dr. Walter C. McCrone – Pushed for microscopy in Forensics. Using microscopes to examine trace evidence.
Calvin Goddard – Ballistics – looking at marking made by guns on bullets and bullet casings
Sir Alec Jefferies – Invented DNA profiling. Revolutionized Forensic Science. In 1986, DNA was used in court for the first time.
1940
1984

9. Introduction to Forensics

10. The Crime Lab 4 Major Crime Labs
Crime Labs are centers for both forensic investigation of ongoing criminal cases and research for new techniques for the future
4 Major Crime Labs
FBI DEA AFT USPIS

11. FBI DEA AFT USPIS
Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives
Examines weapons and explosives
Analyzes Alcohol and Tobacco
Federal Bureau of Investigations
Largest Crime lab in the World
Used to Train personnel
Develops newest methods of testing
Drug Enforcement Administration
Analyzes drugs that are taken in violation of Federal laws
United States Postal Inspection Service
Investigates any crime involving the post office
Although these labs exist, many local law enforcement jurisdictions (city, county, state) run their own independent crime labs

12. Services of The Crime Lab
Physical Evidence Analysis
Evidence Collection Unit
Biology / Pathology Unit
Ballistics Unit
Document Examination Unit
Photography Unit
Toxicology Unit
Latent Fingerprinting
Polygraph
Voiceprint Analysis

13. Hello. Come in and get your notebooks. Have a seat at your NEW SEAT
Hello. Come in and get your notebooks. Have a seat at your NEW SEAT!  If you have paper and a basket, put it under the chair for now.

14. Basics of Forensic Law

15. Methods of Crime Solving
3 main methods to solve crimes
Confessions
Forensic Scientists focus on Analyzing Physical Evidence.
They may be required to testify at a trail or hearing.
They may train law enforcement in the collection and preservation of physical evidence.
Trained law enforcement uses proper interrogation techniques. Ensures that confessions are free from coercion.
Eye Witness Accounts
Trained law enforcement to properly questions eye witnesses without leading them into giving information.
Physical Evidence
Trained law enforcement collects evidence and ensures it follows the proper chain of custody.

16. Confession
Suspects may confess on their own or after being interrogated. Confessions can be tricky and still need to investigated. It is important that the suspect is reliable, mentally stable, and in no way coerced or feeling threatened to make a confession.

17. Types of Witnesses Expert Witness Lay Witness
will need to be educated, have experience, and training relevant to the trial.
This person may express personal opinions to significance of special findings
Expert Witness
must testify on events or observations that come from personal knowledge
(must be factual, no personal opinion of witness)
Lay Witness

18. Collection of Physical Evidence
Whenever evidence needs to be collected, trained personnel must be called to the scene.
Crime Scene Units are trained to recognize and gather evidence. If CSU’s are not available, officers or detectives collect evidence.
Some police forces do not use crime scene units – this can lead to problems later if proper collection techniques are not followed or there is an inconsistences in evidence chain of custody.