Introduction to
Forensic Science
Coach Whitaker
Vocabulary
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Forensic Science—is the study and application
of science to matters of law
Odontology—examination of bite marks and
dental identification
Pathology—investigation of sudden,
unexplained, or violent death
Entomology—the study of insects
Palynology—the study of pollen and spores
Vocabulary
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Polygraphy—the use of the lie detector
Anthropologist—study of human remains
Serologist—deals with blood and other body
fluids
toxicologist—study of drugs and poisons
Botanist—study of plants and plant residue
Vocabulary
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Expert Witness—person who provides
testimony at a legal proceeding in the form of
professional opinions
Anticipation Guide
Forensic Science
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Forensic Science or
criminalistics is the study and
application of science to
matters of law
Forensic scientists use crime
labs to help them examine
evidence
Most crime labs will include
the following: physical
science, biology, ballistics,
document examination,
photography, toxicology, and
finger prints
Forensic Science
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A forensic scientist’s performs all of the
following duties:
Studies and collects different types of evidence
at crime scenes
Testifies as an expert witness at trials where he
or she presents data, weighs evidence, and gives
opinions to the court
Performs scientific research and train other
scientists
Forensic Science
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Forensic Scientists come
from many backgrounds;
many have studied biology,
or microbiology, chemistry,
physical science, geology, or
one of the other sciences
They learn about forensics
from experience or
independent study or
through experience as a
police officer
Forensic Science
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In the past when the world was smaller, identifying,
capturing, and convicting criminals depended on
eyewitnesses and confessions
In order for law enforcement to keep pace other
techniques for IDing criminals had to be develop
Science provides methods that depend less on
eyewitnesses to ID criminals or to link the criminals to
the crime scene
Can you think of any examples?
Great Examples That Propelled
Forensic Science Forward
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Microscope—enabled criminalists
to analyze even the smallest bits of
evidence and to see details that
were unseen
Photography—gave criminalists a
clear representation of the crime
scene without relying on memory
or drawings
Ballistics—gave criminalists a
clearer idea where a bullet came
from
Blood typing and DNA—made
matching suspect to crime scene
much more exact
Careers in Forensic Science
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Criminalist
Crime Scene Investigator
Forensic Investigator
Forensic pathologist
Forensic pathology
technician
Forensic anthropologist
Forensic toxicologist
Fingerprint examiner
Forensic document examiner
Detective/Investigator
Coroner
Career Activity
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Your job is to create a one minute infocommercial on one of the careers we talked
about
You must have job requirements, salary, job
descriptions, work conditions, qualifications,
work environment, and some type of job slogan
used for recruitment. You can use any media,
music, or any other technology device
Crime Lab
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Crime labs can be found on
the local, state, and federal
level
For example, the GBI crime
lab in DeKalb County
The FBI maintains the
largest crime lab in the world
A forensics crime lab is
similar to a medical lab
except it is geared toward
testing evidence and linking it
to a suspect or crime
Crime Lab
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State and local crime labs may have the following
divisions:
Physical science unit—examine drugs, soil, glass,
paint, blood spatter, and other trace evidence
A firearms unit to examine tool marks, weapons,
firearms, and ballistics
Document analysis unit to examine handwriting,
word processing, and computer applications
Biology unit to examine body fluids, DNA, blood,
hair, fibers, insects, and plant life
Crime Lab
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These professionals assist the
crime labs and are the most skilled
forensic scientist
Pathologist—deals with the nature
of disease and the affects on the
human body (assaults, rapes, and
abuse)
Anthropologist—studies skeletal
remains to determine the age, sex,
and race of the deceased, injuries
or illnesses the person suffered,
and establish time of death
Odontologists—helps identify
unknown corpses by matching
dental patterns with X-Rays, Casts,
and photographs
Crime Lab
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Entomologists—study of
insects. Study life cycles of
insects that feed on the
human body
Psychiatrists—study the
sanity or competence of
someone to stand trial or
profile criminals
Serologist—deals with blood
and other body fluids
Toxicologists—deals with
drugs and poisons
Botanists—examines plant
residue at crime scenes
Crime Lab Activity
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Crime Lab drawing that includes the units
discussed and five visuals for each unit along
with medical technicians visuals
http://investigation.discovery.com/investigation
/forensics/forensic-lab-tour.html
Testifying in Court
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In the United States court
system, both sides on trial
attempt to out-argue each
other
Each side attempts to present
evidence that favors their
argument and discredit the
opposition’s argument
Each side attempts to bring
in an “expert witness” to
support or refute the
testimony of the expert
witness
Testifying in Court
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The EW must establish his or her creditability
through credentials, background, and experience
The side that calls on an EW asks supportive
questions and the opposition side ask tough
questions
The EW must make their honest opinions clear,
concise, and believable
Testifying in Court
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The real goal of court
proceedings is to provide
enough evidence so a jury
can reach an understandable
version of the truth
Hard to get to that point
because some evidence is not
admissible in court because
they were obtained
improperly, contaminated, or
a chain of custody was
compromised
Testifying in Court
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Judges typically allow a great
deal of leeway to EW on
how they present their
information
EW is allowed to go beyond
normal questions and
answers because their
technical testimony needs an
explanation to a person who
does not have knowledge of
their field
Rarely is an EW allowed to
express in his or her
testimony as an absolute
Testimony Activity
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Graphic Organizer about the similarities and
differences of police officers, lawyers, and
forensic scientists
CSI Effect and Common Myths
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The CSI effect is a reference to the
phenomenon of popular television
shows such as the CSI franchise
raising real-world expectations of
forensic science, especially crime
scene investigation and DNA
testing.
Writers of forensic science
television—glamorizes the field,
overstating the accuracy of
forensic techniques, and
exaggerating the abilities of
forensic
Everyone is an arm chair expert on
forensics
Common Myths
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The quick death—almost
no one dies instantly but
from bleeding
The pretty death—real
dead people are ugly
The bleeding corpse—real
corpses do not bleed
The exact time of death—
no known exact time of
death
Common Myths
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The one-punch knockout
The disappearing black eye—it takes a couple of
weeks for a black eye to heal
The fast-acting poison—Acute poisoning most
often takes several days
The instant athlete
The high tech crime lab—not as glamorous and
not as much fancy equipment
Final Activity
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Timeline of significant dates and events in
forensic science history
Must create a time line online or draw one
describing 15 major events in forensic science
history