Bibliography
Evans, Colin. Law Enforcement Agencies Crime Lab. New York: Infobase Learning, 2011.
Ferguson. Ferguson's Careers in Focus. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010.
Woog, Adam. Careers in Forensic Science. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC, 2014.
Evans, Colin. Law Enforcement Agencies Crime Lab. New York: Infobase Learning, 2011.
In the world of modern law enforcement, crime laboratories have become crucial.
Prosecutors best chance to influence a jury rests in being able to provide a science-based
evidence that links the accused to the crime. Many juries even expect this evidence. This
expectation has become so widespread that the courts refer to it as “The CSI Effect.” The crime
lab is expected to solve crimes. (Evans)
This expectation did not arise overnight. It took a long time for courts and jurors to
accept scientific evidence. In the 19th century in Europe a string of crimes broke loose where
expert witnesses testimonies held more water than any type of scientific testimony. This led to
numerous failures of delivering justice. (Evans)
The big transformation came with the arrival of the 20th century. Before this new dawn
there had been minor breakthroughs in toxicology and fingerprint testing, but it was the
extensive leaps in new technology that came with the new century are what formed our modern
crime labs. Over the past 100 years chromatography, the electrostatic detection apparatus, DNA
typing, and the electron scanning microscope have been developed and are now depended upon
by forensic scientists. (Evans)
Ferguson. Ferguson's Careers in Focus. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010.
The field of Forensic Science has boomed over the past decade. Forensic Science can be
found in crime laboratories, colleges and universities, law firms, insurance companies, and local
state and federal government agencies. Majority of the careers in forensic science require a
bachelor’s degree there are also opportunities for those with a high school diploma. In the
Forensic Science field there are: crime scene investigators, fingerprint analysts, computer
forensic specialists, forensic accountants and auditors, forensic anthropologists and countless
more careers with employment opportunities. Earnings for forensic science professionals range
from $20,000 to more than $150,000. (Ferguson)
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the employment of forensic science
technicians will grow much faster than the average employment rates for all careers. There are
predicted to be many opportunities for forensic science professionals; however, many forensic
science fields are small and employ only a few employees. Those employed through the local
and state public safety departments should experience especially strong employment
opportunities. It is the forensic science professionals, who are supplied with an advanced
education and an appreciable amount of experience, that have the best employment outlooks.
(Ferguson)
Woog, Adam. Careers in Forensic Science. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC,
2014.
Forensic Science is known for its long history. Hundreds of years have passed since
humans first explored into forensic science. “Today’s rapidly advancing forensic technology is
grounded on centuries of steady progress in the field.” Even the word forensics is very old. The
word is derived from a Latin word meaning “of the forum.” In ancient Rome, juries were known
as a forum. Overtime the term “forensics” has developed to mean ways in which science is used
to settle issues concerning the law. (Woog)
The first known account of science being used in an investigation was in a thirteenthcentury text from China. The text describes the techniques of looking for water in the lungs of a
corpse. In one particular instance the text discloses, an investigator solved a murder by
identifying the weapon as a sickle. He did this by testing the wounds different blades made on
animal carcasses. The investigator then had all residents in the area bring their sickles to him. He
then singled out one sickle because the blood on it attracted flies. The owner of the sickle, later
confessed when confronted. (Woog)