Trace and Physical Evidence Concepts Flashcards
Requirements of a Forensic Scientist
- ability to reason during times when human emotion may attempt to override rationality
- ability to address life’s grimmest realities while maintaining human feelings
what do forensic scientists do?
- recover human remains
- idenitfy human remains
- document the cause of human death
- assist in criminal investigations through scientific analysis of evidence
how does a forensic scientist contribute to scientific reliability in court?
- ensure the guilty receive punishment
- free innocent people
- provide a method to correlate a measurement of scientific reliability with a specific facet of forensic science
DMORT
disaster mortuary operational response team
forensics scientists, unlike their counterparts, must become ?
familiar with lawyers and the law
forensic scientists must combine scientific skills with ?
a sworn duty to the public good
forensic science = ?
public science
what is an expert witness?
an individual whom the court determines possesses knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average person
a forensic scientist may also provide ?
expert court testimony
why is the expert witness called on?
to evaluate evidence based on specialized training and experience that the court lacks the expert to do
what happens after the expert witness is called on to evaluate evidence based on special training?
express an opinion as to the significance of the findings
Forensic scientists also participate in training law enforcement personnel in the ?
proper recognition, collection, and preservation of physical evidence
forensic scientists are independent finders of ?
fact
must operate under ?
police jurisdiction or administration
forensic scientists have a duty to strike ?
a balance between duties of job and results of tests
must be committed to ?
ethical behavior
must be able to distinguish reliable from ?
unreliable scientific practice
what is the Frye Standard?
Frye v. United States decision set guidelines for determining the admissibility of scientific evidence into the courtroom
how to meet the Frye standard?
the evidence in question must be “generally accepted” by the scientific community
what happened in the 1993 case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc?
the U.S. Supreme court asserted that the Frye standard is not an absolute prerequisite to the admissibility of scientific evidence
trial judges were said to be ultimately responsible as
“gatekeepers” for the admissibility and validity of scientific evidence presented in their courts, as well as all expert testimony
the Supreme Court offered some guidelines as to how a judge can gauge scientific evidence. what is the first criterion?
whether the scientific technique or theory can be (and has been) tested
2nd criterion of Daubert
whether the technique or theory has been subject to peer review and publication
3rd criterion of Daubert
the technique’s potential rate of error
4th criterion of Daubert
existence and maintenance of standards controlling the technique’s operation
5th criterion of Daubert
whether the scientific theory or method has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community
forensic laboratories have quality assurance programs to:
- ensure reported results are scientifically valid
- opinions are based only upon results deemed reliable
quality assurance programs may also have
staff education requirements
peer review of results
specific case file documentation
distribution of reports
auditing of testimony
evidence handling and laboratory security
proficiency tests are given to forensic scientists and are simulated cases which ?
assist criminalists in determining their error rates
applicants for positions in a forensic laboratory can expect:
- thorough background investigation
- polygraph examination
- history of illegal drug use and screening
- driving record check
- employment and residential history review
what focuses on accreditation of laboratories?
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
how long are laboratories accredited for?
5 years
accreditation includes cmprehensive inspection and what else?
interviews with staff, review of written procedures and quality assurance programs
what are criminalists awarded?
individual certification by the American Board of Criminalistics or the Internatinal Association of Identification
how to maintain certification?
individuals must complete professional activities, attend or provide training, write in scientific journals, attend meetings, and complete proficiency testing
2 types of laboratories
government
private
types of govenrment laboratories
FBI, ATF, DEA, USSS
types of private laboratories
may provide forensic testing to police and or defendants.
greatest contribution by private labs is retesting evidence examined by government or public lab
what are the qualifications to be a forensic examiner?
possess a baccalaureate degree in natural science: emphasis in physics, biology, chemistry or forensic science
on the job training will assist entry level criminalists in gaining necessary skills and knowledge for career development
DNA technical managers must have a Master’s Degree according to D.A.B (and coursework in Biochem, genetics, and molecular biology)
what should criminalists do to enhance their knowledge?
review research journals such as Journal of Forensic Sciences
important historical work by who?
fathers of forensic science: Gross, O’Hara, Osterburg, and Kirk are viable sources to learning more about the field of forensic science
