Chapter 1 Notes
Groups 5, 6, 7
Group 5- Important People
• Alphonse Bertillon: Father of Personal
Identification. Developed Anthropometry
which was a form of identification through
body measurements.
• Walter C. McCrone: specialized in microscopy
for evidence analysis.
• Valentin Ross: Detected poison/toxins in walls
of the stomach.
Group 5- Important People
• William Herschel: Infared radiation,
telescopes, fingerprinting.
• Henry Fauld: proposed use of fingerprints in
forensics.
• Sir Edward Richard Henry: Developed the
Henry System of classifying fingerprints.
Group 5- Important People
• Kary Mullis: known for his work with PCR
(polymerase chain reaction) which helped
make many copies of a DNA sample.
• Edmond Locard: founder and director of
Institute of Criminalistics. Established Locard’s
Exchange Principle which stated that when a
person comes into contact with another
person or object, there is a transfer of
materials.
Group 6- Important Case Rulings and
Legal Terms
• Frye v. US: Set a standard for “general
acceptance” of expert testimony.
• Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc:
Determined Frye Standard is not an absolute
prerequisite. Established “gatekeeping” for
the trial judge which gave them authority to
determine reliability of scientific evidence.
Group 6- Important Case Rulings and
Legal Terms
• Kuhmo Tire Co. v. Carmichael: Promoted the
fact that the judge is the “gatekeeper” not just
with scientific evidence but also with expert
testimony.
• Coppolino v. State: showed flexibility of the
judge because they could now allow scientific
evidence even without a precedent on testing
methods being set before.
Group 6- Important Case Rulings and
Legal Terms
• Expert Witness: An individual who posses
scientific knowledge relevant to the trial
which would not be expected of the average
person.
• Qualifications of Experts: Degree, job,
experience in field they are going to speak of.
• Lay Witness: ordinary person who testifies
based on person knowledge and life
experiences.
Group 7: Case Analysis
• 1. Briefly summarize the case: Dr. Mario
Jascalevich was accused of murdering 5
patients with an overdose of Curare (animal
tranquilizer). Years later the bodies were
exhumed to detect traces of Curare. He was
quitted of charges due to inability to prove
reliability of testing methods.
Group 7- Case Analysis
• 2. Describe the primary issue of law. Include a
discussion of arguments.
• Primary issue: testing method used to detect
Curare after ten years was not “generally
accepted’ by the scientific community.
• Defense: Claimed test did not meet
acceptance and could not be used.
• Prosecution: Argued that it was a new test so
had to be reliable.
Group 7- Case Analysis
• 3. How did the court ultimately rule on this
issue? Describe the main arguments
supporting the court’s decisions.
• The doctor was determined to be not guilty
because they couldn’t link Curare to the cause
of death after ten years.
Group 7- Case Analysis
• 4. Describe the primary scientific issue raised
during the trial. What were the main
challenges by the defense to the scientific
evidence presented by the prosecution?
• The test was inconclusive because of the
deterioration of the human body after a
period of time (10 years).