Module 1 (Legal Terms)

Question 1

Reproducibility

Answer 1

Anyone who repeats an experiment should obtain comparable (similar) results.

Question 2

Falsifiability

Answer 2

Findings that, if incorrect, can be clearly demonstrated as false.

Question 3

Sequential Unmasking

Answer 3

Giving information one step at a time, as to prevent bias.

Question 4

Accreditation

Answer 4

A laboratory has agreed to operate per professional standard and has proven it operates as such.

Question 5

Quality Assurance

Answer 5

Prevention of defects & management of quality

Question 6

Quality Control

Answer 6

Identification of defects & quality verification

Question 7

Certification

Answer 7

An individual has completed a test certifying their competency.

Question 8

Legal Precedent

Answer 8

What earlier courts have decided in similar cases

Question 9

Civil Law

Answer 9

• Citizen or Company vs Citizen
• Offense is called a “tort”
• Plaintiff and Respondent

Question 10

Criminal Law

Answer 10

• Government vs Citizen

- Offense is a felony or misdemeanor

Question 11

Prosecution

Answer 11

-Party filing criminal charges

Question 12

Plaintiff

Answer 12

Party filing civil charges

Question 13

Defendant

Answer 13

The accused

Question 14

Trier of Fact

Answer 14

A judge of sorts; the entity who makes the final decision based on given evidence

Question 15

Burden of Proof

Answer 15

Prosecutor must prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt (in a criminal case)

Question 16

Probable Cause

Answer 16

Reasonable grounds for initiating something

Question 17

What do all forensic scientists abide by?

Answer 17

Code of ethics

Question 18

Adjudicated

Answer 18

Legal process of resolving a dispute or deciding a case

Question 19

Adversarial System

Answer 19

Legal system where two advocates represent their parties’ case

Question 20

If a police officer suspects a driver of driving under the influence, he can pull a car over and request that the driver take a breath test. The results of this test can provide probable cause. Explain what this means.

Answer 20

It’s probable cause because if the breath test shows the BAC is higher than it should be, the officer has reason to arrest the driver.

Question 21

Suppose that the results of this breath test were positive, and the driver is arrested and a blood sample collected and sent to the laboratory. The laboratory assigns the case to an analyst but does not provide her with any other information. What practice is this an example of?

Answer 21

This is an example of sequential unmasking(?) and is meant to prevent bias.

Question 22

Graphology practitioners claim that they can identify personality traits from your handwriting. Is this a science, and why/why not?

Answer 22

This is a pseudoscience, not real science, since there is no verifiability/falsifiability to prove their findings.

Question 23

When your doctor orders a blood test for you, the sample is sent to an accredited laboratory. Why?

Answer 23

Probably because an accredited laboratory is more likely to send back the proper results, as they’ve been tested on their methods and successfully met the standard.

Question 24

What is the difference between accreditation and certification?

Answer 24

Accreditation is the laboratory as a whole being tested. Certification is just one individual.