INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC SCIENCE GUIDED NOTES
Name:_____________________
Forensic Science
Forensic science is the ______________________________________________________________.
Another word for forensic science is __________________________.
The main job of a forensic scientist is to study the ____________________________________________.
FORENSIC SCIENTIST GUIDED NOTES
What happens after a crime is committed?
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Crime-scene investigators (police) arrive to find, collect, protect, and transport evidence.
Most often, the CSI will call in various experts to analyze different types of evidence.
Forensic Pathologists
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A physician with special training in pathology (disease)
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___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Other responsibilities:
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Reviews medical history
Reviews witness statements
Performs autopsy
Collects evidence (toxicology, microscopic examination of organs, DNA analysis, etc.)
Writes a report, include an official cause of death
Provides testimony in criminal court
In complicated cases, a forensic pathologist may also be asked to examine and photograph the
crime scene himself.
Medical Examiners vs Coroners
The person _______________________________________ to perform autopsies and determine cause of
death may be either a medical examiner or a coroner.
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Medical examiners ___________________________________forensic pathologists
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Coroners __________________________________________ forensic pathologists, or they may
be doctors with a different specialty (e.g. obstetrics), or they may not even have any medical
training at all.
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Most counties have adopted the newer medical examiner system, but some rural areas still
employ coroners.
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Specialized forensic scientists - match the name with the job description
Forensic pathologist
Determines a person’s competency to stand trial, sign documents, or make medical decisions;
determines motivation of suicide victims, and provides psychological profiles of suspects.
Forensic anthropologist
Gathers evidence from the body and/or living victims. Reviews medical records, witness
statements, police reports, conducts autopsies, and determines cause of death.
Forensic odontologist
Examines plant fragments, pollen, or soil to place a suspect at a crime scene or to determine
whether a body has been moved.
Forensic
entomology
Determines the types of fluids present and matches samples of fluids to victims or suspects.
Forensic psychiatrist
Examines and identifies firearms, bullets, and shell casing, and searches for gun shot residue.
Forensic serologist
Examines finger, palm, and foot prints, and matches them to prints taken from suspects, other
crime scenes, or databases.
Forensic botanist
Examines marks found on the crime scene and matches them to tools found with suspects.
Crime scene investigator
Uses insect larvae found in corpses to determine time of death and whether the body has been
moved from one location to another
Latent print examiner
Determines the authenticity and authorship of various documents
Firearms examiner
Analyze and compare hair, fibers, glass, soils, and paints to determine their type and origin, and to
place suspects at the crime scene
Toolmark examiner
Identifies unknown bodies by comparing teeth with dental records or matches a suspect’s teeth
with bite marks on the victim or other evidence.
Document examiner
Collects, protects, and transports evidence from the crime scene to the crime lab. May also
sketch and photograph the crime scene.
Trace evidence
examiner
Examines skeletal remains to determine age, sex, and race of the deceased. May also identify
types of injury / disease and establish time of death.
Education and Salary of other specialties
The ___________________________________________ (who study ____________________
evidence) typically all __________________________________________ (MD or Ph.D.).
Salary: 50K – 100 K
The ______________________ (who study _____________________________) usually require a
______________________________________________, though sometimes former police officers
without formal degrees train for these specialties.
Salary: 40K – 80K
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Expert witnesses and the law
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In any case involving a death, the _______________________________ will testify
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Experts in other specialties may also be called to testify
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It is the ________________ who decides ___________________________ to be considered an expert
and ______________________ they are allowed to present
Legal precedent for expert witness testimony
Frye vs. United States (1923)
“Frye Standard”: expert testimony must be based on “______________________________ scientific
principle” that is “________________________________” and has obtained
“__________________________” in the scientific community
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc. (1993)
“Rule 702” or “Daubert standard”
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Explicitly states that it is up to ______________________________ whether to allow testimony
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Offered judges the following guidelines for admissible techniques and theories
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subject to testing and __________________________
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___________________________
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known __________________________
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Attained widespread _______________________
How do these two standards differ?
Other rules for expert witness testimony
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Expert witnesses are ______________________ before the jury
What does this mean? Experts testify as to their ______________________, ___________________, and
____________________________ before presenting evidence.
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Because they must explain complicated information, expert witnesses have much greater freedom in
how they testify (i.e. they can _______________________, rather than just _____________________
__________________________________)
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TYPES OF EVIDENCE GUIDED NOTES
Evidence is something that _______________________________________________________
Types of Evidence – Direct vs. Indirect
 __________________________ - Evidence that establishes a fact ______________________________
___________________________
Example: ______________________________________
 ___________________________________ / circumstantial evidence - Evidence that only provides a
___________________________________ about a fact
Example: _________________________________________
Direct or Indirect?
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Soil matching a crime location found on a suspect’s clothing
Possession of an illegal substance
Video of a person committing a crime
Fingerprint at crime scene
Fingerprints on the murder weapon
DNA match to skin under victim’s fingernails
** Some people argue that ____________________________ are direct evidence**
When could you argue that fingerprints on the murder weapon are direct evidence?
When could you argue that fingerprints on the murder weapon are indirect evidence?
What about skin under the victim’s fingernails? When is it direct? When is it indirect?
Types of Evidence – Testimonial vs Documentary vs Physical
 Testimonial evidence -- _________________________________
 Documentary evidence - _________________________ relevant to a crime
Example: audio / video / written documents
 Physical evidence -- any object or material relevant to a crime
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Which type of evidence?
 DVD stolen from a store
 Surveillance video of a robbery
 Crime scene photographs
Which is kind of evidence is best?
_______________________________________________________________________
Problems with eye-witness accounts
 Most cases of wrongful imprisonment are due to mistaken eyewitness identification!
 Eye witnesses may be wrong for many reasons:
 Age / eyesight / hearing / alcohol or drugs
 Stress / fear can focus and alter perceptions
 Encounters may be brief or take place under poor conditions
 New information may alter memories
Physical Evidence
Although ________________________, physical evidence is more reliable than eyewitness accounts.
With enough physical evidence, a strong case can be made.
Locard’s Exchange Principle:
“______________________________________________”
Every time someone goes some where, they leave behind physical evidence, and pick up
evidence from their environment.
trace
What can physical evidence show?
 It can ______________________________ at a the crime scene or with the victim
 It can help _______________________________ (for example, blood splatter can indicate the relative
position of two people)
 Can ___________________________________ / indicate that crime took place (e.g. finding gasoline at
a fire indicates arson)
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The value of physical evidence
The more unique or _______________________________ a piece of evidence is, the better its
_______________________________________ – the stronger proof it provides.
Example:
Finding that a suspect has the same brand of duct tape that was used in a crime is ok evidence.
BUT, if the torn end of the duct tape used in a crime exactly matches the torn end of the suspect’s role,
that is much better evidence.
Describing Evidence
Determine whether each type of evidence listed below is direct or indirect, physical or testimonial. For
physical evidence, also describe additional details that might individualize the evidence and/or increase its
probative value.
 Survelliance camera videotape of a crime
 Written contract
 Blood stained clothing
 Eyewitness account
 Hair found at the crime scene
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