Chapter 4 Flashcards
forensic identification
is the process of linking a piece of physical trace evidence to an individual, usually a criminal suspect
Anthropometry
required taking 11 measurements, including left foot length, cranium size, height, length of the arm, and length of the middle finger. And was the first criminal identification technique
biometrics
the identification of an individual person based on distinctive, measurable anatomical or behavioral traits
Reliability
the consistency or repeatability of a measure or observation
Test–retest reliability
(sometimes referred to as temporal consistency) is high if a measure yields the same results over time
Interrater reliability
sometimes referred to as interobserver agreement) is the degree to which two or more observers or analysts independently arrive at the same measurement.
measurement validity
refers to whether or not a technique measures what it is supposed to measure.
People v. Wesley
Case where DNA evidence was first used
Electropherogram:
a graph showing the height of peaks at specific locations on the human genome
-sometimes yields ambiguous results and is left up to interpretation
-almost always contextualized with probability statements
friction ridges
The tiny swirling lines on your fingertips
Latent prints
when fingerprints are found on a surface at the scene of a crime, difficult to see with naked eye
Bifurcation
when a single ridge splits into two
ends
where a ridge stops
crossovers
two ridges joined by a bridging ridge
independence
short ridges with clear end points
