1. Chapter 1: Introduction
Forensics
Chapter 1: Introduction

2. Forensic Science: A Definition
Application of science to law
Applies the knowledge and technology of science for the definition and enforcement of such laws.
Forensic science is the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.

3. History and Development
1813
1879
Mathieu Orfila: Father of Forensic toxicology
Alphonse Bertillon: developed the science of anthropometry
1929
1892
Calvin Goddard: developed the comparison microscope for bullet comparisons.
Francis Galton: first study of fingerprints

4. …more History 1910 1950’s 1893 1910 Principles of document examination
Microscopy as a tool for the forensic scientist
1893
1910
Developed the application of scientific principles to criminal investigations
Locard’s Exchange Principle

5. Locard’s 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.“

6. Organization of the Crime Lab
Over 320 public crime labs in the U.S…a tripling of the number since 1966.
Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Increase in drug abuse
Advent of DNA profiling
Most State Governments maintain crime labs plus satellite labs.

7. Services of the Crime Lab
Physical Science Unit
Biology Unit
Firearms Unit
Document Examination Unit
Photography Unit
Toxicology Unit
Latent Fingerprint Unit
Polygraph Unit
Voiceprint Analysis unit
Evidence Collection Unit

8. Physical Science Unit

9. Physical Science Unit Investigators: Items Identified: Job: Chemists
Physicists
Geologists
Items Identified:
drugs, glass, paint, explosives and soil
Job:
Analytical and chemical analysis

10. Biology Unit

11. Biology Unit Investigators: Identify and Compare: Job: Biologists
Biochemists
Identify and Compare:
botanical materials such as wood and plants.
Job:
Identification and DNA profiling of dried blood stains, other body fluids, comparison of hairs and fibers

12. Firearms Unit

13. Firearms Unit Identify and examine: Responsibility: Firearms
Discharged bullets
Cartridge cases
Shotgun shells
Responsibility:
Examination of garments to detect firearm discharge residue
Determine approximate distance from target when weapon was fired.

14. Document Analysis Unit

15. Document Analysis Unit
Identify and Examine:
Handwriting and typewriting to determine authenticity and/or source
Job:
Analysis of paper and ink and indented writings (impressions)
Recreate:
Obliterations, erasures
Burned or charred documents

16. Photography Unit

17. Photography Unit Examine and Record: Specialize in: Beyond the Scene:
Physical evidence at the scene
Specialize in:
Digital imaging, IR, UV, and X ray photography to make invisible information visible to the naked eye
Beyond the Scene:
Preparation of photographic exhibits for courtroom presentation.

18. Can you find the Relationship?

19. Toxicology Unit Investigators: Examine: Job: Chemists Biologists
Body fluids and organs for the presence or absence of drugs and poisons.
Determines Blood alcohol content
Job:
Works with the coroner or medical examiner’s office

20. Latent Fingerprint Unit

21. Latent Fingerprint Unit
Process and examine:
Fingerprints to determine possible matches with victims and suspects

22. Polygraph Unit

23. Polygraph Unit
Job:
Analyze respiration, perspiration, blood pressure and pulse rate to determine credibility
Used in conjunction with interrogation to determine credibility of suspects and witnesses.

24. Voiceprint Unit

25. Voiceprint Unit Interpret: Analyze: Compare: Telephone threats
Tape recorded messages
Compare:
Suspect voice recording to evidence to match source

26. Evidence Collection Unit

27. Evidence Collection Unit
CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation
Consists of:
trained personnel who are dispatched to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence.
They simply collect the evidence, they do not do every single job as seen on fiction television.

28. Locard’s Principle Revisited
Attempt the Hypothetical Case with a partner.
Answers:
Victim was inside the car means fibers from its interior have been transferred onto the victim’s clothing.
Blood from the victim has been transferred onto the velour interior.
Fiber, blood, hair, and skin cells may also have been transferred between the criminal and victim.
Tire tracks from the car may have been left in the woods.
This would probably lead to the make of car, since the tires are special.
If the vehicle was located, small driving imperfections in the tread could link it to the crime.
The type of soil at the crime scene may still be on the car’s tires, too.
Interior of suspect’s car could be tested for the fibers, hair, skin cells and blood of the victim.

29. Types of Law – The Three Cs
Criminal
Civil
Common
Note: there are others but these will be the primary ones in many of our cases
Probable Cause: situation in which a reasonable and prudent person, viewing the available informatio,n would conclude that a crime has been committed and that the suspect committed it

30. Functions of the Forensic Scientist
Frye v. United States: Rejection of Lie Detector (Polygraph) results necessitated guidelines for determining judicial admissibility of scientific examinations.
The Frye Standard: The court must decide if the questioned procedure, technique or principles are “generally accepted” by a meaningful segment of the scientific community.

31. Daubert v. Merrel
Whether the scientific technique or theory can be tested.
Whether the technique or theory has been subject to peer review and publication.
The technique’s potential for error.
Existence and maintenance of standards controlling the technique’s operation.
Whether the scientific theory or method has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community.

32. Coppolino Case Study

33. August 28, 1965 Family physician, Karow, called to Coppolino home
Dr. Karow
August 28, 1965
Family physician, Karow, called to Coppolino home
Carmela Coppolino
Carmela’s remains

34. Circa 1966 Mary Gibson (Mary Coppolino – second wife)
Marjorie Farber, widow of William Farber, mistress of Carl Coppolino

36. Dr. Carl Coppolino
Spring Chicken Gibson

37. July 30, 1963 William Farber died
Mary Gibson (Mary Coppolino – second wife)
July 30, 1963 William Farber died

38. Carl and his lawyer
Carl in custody

39. Coppolino v. State
M.E. testified that victim died of an overdose of a drug called succinylcholine chloride based on his toxicology report.
Succinylcholine chloride breaks down into succinic acid in the body.
This drug had never before been detected in a human body.
Defense argued that this test was new and absence of corroborative experimental data by other scientists.
The court rejected the defense’s argument on the grounds that although the tests may be new and unique, they are admissible only if they are based on scientifically valid principles and techniques.

40. Expert Testimony
Must be competent: education degrees, member of applicable societies, published papers or books, etc.
Defense may cross-examine the
potential expert witness.
The individual trial judge is the
ultimate decision maker
regarding expert witnesses.

41. Training in Recognition, Collection, and Preservation of Evidence
Specially trained evidence collectors: CSI
On 24-hour call to aid criminal investigators in retrieving evidence
Specially equipped with all the proper evidence collection equipment
Unfortunately, some police forces still don’t use them or the police themselves have contaminated the crime scene before the CSI team gets there!

42. Forensic Pathology
Investigation of sudden, unnatural, unexplained, or violent death.
Medical Examiner vs Coroner = M.D. vs political appointee.
Autopsy:
Causes of death: natural, homicide, suicide, accident, undetermined.
Rigor mortis: starts within the first 24 hours and disappears after 36 hours. Helpful in estimating time of death. See “Algor mortis”
Livor mortis: settling of blood after the heart stops. Skin appears dark blue. Used to determine position of body at time of death.

44. Rigor Mortis
Chemical change in the muscles after death, causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate.
3-12 hours; disappears after 72 hours in humans.

45. Muscles and Rigor Mortis

46. Rigor Mortis

48. Livor Mortis

49. Livor Mortis

51. Determining time of Death
Algor mortis: continual cooling of body temperature after death
Factors: location of body, size of body, victim’s clothing, ambient temperature
General Rule: Beginning about an hour after death, the body will lose heat at a rate of 1 to 1.5 degrees F. per hour until the body reaches the environmental temperature.
Potassium levels in the vitreous humor of the eye

53. More Time of Death Factors
Food in victim’s stomach can establish last time victim ate.
Liver temperature
Only if done at crime scene
Anal Temperature
Compared to ambient temperature

54. Stomach Contents Stomach begins to empty within 10 minutes of meal
Size of Meal vs. Time in Stomach
Light hours
Medium hours
Heavy hours

57. Other Areas involving Forensics
Anthropology: Examination of human skeletal remains
Entomology: insect life span can be used to determine the time of death.
Psychiatry: competency of suspect; serial killed profiles
Odontology: body identification based on dental records; evidence using bite marks left on victims
Engineering: accident reconstruction to determine causes