Introduction
Forensics is directly defined as something “used in the court of law” (Komar, Buikstra, 2008, p.44). Although forensics is defined in this manner, there is an ever-growing conflict between the needs of the law (e.g. the criminal justice system) and the capabilities of particular fields in forensics, specifically forensic science. Forensic science is currently at the forefront of importance in assisting law enforcement in solving crimes; yet it is a field that is constantly altering and advancing in procedures and mechanisms e.g., the technological advancements that have added to the aptitude of forensics and also established a ‘new’ field within forensics (Murphy 2007). Although, forensic science comes at great assistance to law enforcement it has become an issue within recent years because of a constant clash between the legal system and forensic sciences.
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the needs of law enforcement conflict with the ability and advances made in Forensic Science. This will be implemented by discussing particular advancements, including the ideal of “new forensics”, the various methodologies used and there critiques in regards to the Daubert and Frye Rulings (Meaney, 1994). Lastly, this paper will analyze the varying viewpoints of scholars regarding this issue and the various ways they believe this issue could be resolved.
As stated previously, both the law and forensic science are used to solve crime but each area has a dissimilar way of solving crimes although they mutually rely upon one another (Metzgar, 2012). Forensic Science is persistently developing and shifting, these modifications, continue to create more questions of how to establish consistency and measure validity; as ...
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Forensic science has changed dramatically over the years in a number of different ways, both positive and negative; new discoveries have altered the ways in which scientific experiments are carried out; how evidence is collected from a crime scene and overall how a criminal is caught as a result of the findings and conclusions made by forensic scientists. Crime has existed for millions of years; however the way in which a crime is detected hasn’t been around for the same length of time. Forensic science has gone through many changes for the better and has become a lot more accurate and reliable since it was first established. The arrival of modern forensic science made apprehending the criminal a lot faster and a lot simpler. The police records are full of anonymous corpses that have been so badly mutilated that they are unable to be recognised by the human eye. This gives forensic scientists a very difficult job; it requires precise medical expertise in order to identify that person and figure out what happened. The
Therefore, the criminal justice system relies on other nonscientific means that are not accepted or clear. Many of forensic methods have implemented in research when looking for evidence, but the methods that are not scientific and have little or anything to do with science. The result of false evidence by other means leads to false testimony by a forensic analyst. Another issue with forensic errors is that it is a challenge to find a defense expert (Giannelli, 2011). Defense experts are required to help the defense attorneys defend and breakdown all of the doubts in the prosecutors scientific findings in criminal cases. Scientific information is integral in a criminal prosecution, and a defense attorney needs to have an expert to assist he/she in discrediting the prosecution (Giannelli,
As far back as 1832, James Marsh was the first to use forensics at trial to give evidence as a chemist in 1832. Since that time forensic science and evidence has come a long way in various ways and technology to help in determine if the suspect is guilt or not, through such things as DNA testing, blood, and fingerprints. The first forensic police crime lab was created in 1910. The contributions of Dr. Edmond Locard, a French scientist and criminologist, proposed that “everything leaves a trace”. This principle is still valid today as it was so many years ago. No matter how small, the specialized trained technicians and investigators can take these methods and go to a crime scene to get evidence. “Forensic science is the application of sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and engineering to matters of law.” (Office of Justice, 2017) These different sciences can help achieve and assist in solving a case. Forensic science has also the ability to prove that a crime was committed, it can find the elements of the crime, it can help place the suspect at the scene and whether the suspect had any contact with the victim. However, in the last several years the techniques and with the use of technology the evidence that forensic science uncovers can also exonerate an innocent individual who has been falsely accused of the
“Advance in Forensics Provide Creative Tools for Solving Crimes.” www.ctcase.org. Np. n.d. Web. 17 March 2014.
Lyman, D. Michael; Criminal Investigation, The Art and Science; 3rd edition, 2002 Prentice Hall. Pgs. 188-200.
Forensic psychology is such a complex sub-discipline of psychology, and this complexity makes it difficult to define. The simplest way to define forensic psychology would have to be: sub-di...
Forensic Science, recognized as Forensics, is the solicitation of science to law to understand evidences for crime investigation. Forensic scientists are investigators that collect evidences at the crime scene and analyse it uses technology to reveal scientific evidence in a range of fields. Physical evidence are included things that can be seen, whether with the naked eye or through the use of magnification or other analytical tools. Some of this evidence is categorized as impression evidence2.In this report I’ll determine the areas of forensic science that are relevant to particular investigation and setting out in what method the forensic science procedures I have recognized that would be useful for the particular crime scene.
Forensic Psychology, which is occasionally referred to as Legal Psychology, originally made its debut in the late 1800’s. A Harvard Professor, Professor Munsterberg, introduced the idea of psychology and law with his book, On the Witness Stand in 1908. Since the inception of the idea of psychology and law there have been proponents, as well as though that have spoken against the theories proposed by Munsterberg’s, along with other scientists, theorists, and psychologists that believed that Forensic Psychology had no standing to be linked to topics of law. This literature review will attempt to identify scholarly articles that trace the origins and the movement that led to Forensics Psychology becoming a specialty within the field of psychology. I will also attempt to explain What is Forensic Psychology as well as the part it plays within the legal system.
In today’s time, modern Crime Scene Investigation has increased rapidly. From throughout the late 1900’s and in the early 2000’s (Taylor 1). For all of the evidence that they find, a solid foundation has formed over the thousands of years of Crime Scene
Forensic evidence can provide just outcomes in criminal matters. However, it is not yet an exact science as it can be flawed. It can be misrepresented through the reliability of the evidence, through nonstandard guidelines, and through public perception. Forensic science can be dangerously faulty without focus on the ‘science’ aspect. It can at times be just matching patterns based on an individual’s interpretations. This can lead to a miscarriage of justice and forever alter a person’s life due to a perceived “grey area” (Merritt C, 2010) resulting in a loss of confidence in the reliability of forensic evidence.
Gaensslen, R. E., Harris, H A., & Lee, H. (2008). Introduction to Forensic Science and Criminalistics. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. .
· Evans, Colin: A Question of Evidence – The Casebook of Great Forensic Controversies, from Napoleon to O.J., John Wiley & Sons Inc., New Jersey, 2003
The two largest contributors to wrongful convictions are eyewitness misidentification and improper forensic testing; the human brain is not like a tape recorder, which means we cannot record information with undoubted accuracy nor can we easily repeat such information like a tape that has been rewound and many of the so-called sciences involved in forensic tests are unfounded and untested. The justice system relies heavily on eyewitness testimony, especially in the absence of other evidence, but several studies and cases have shown that this practice is frequently unreliable, with 77% of DNA exoneration cases involving eyewitness misidentification (“Eyewitness Misidentification”), and many juries are presented forensic evidence as scientific fact, when in reality nobody knows how accurate these tests ...
“The word ‘forensics’ means “connected with the courtroom”; so forensic science is, therefore, concerned with gathering hard evidence that can be presented in a trial” (Innes 9). Forensic science is a science that is applied specifically to legal matters, whether criminal or civil. “Few areas in the realm of science are as widespread and important as forensic science” (Hunter 12). Forensics is the one science that is most commonly used in everyday life. It is also a branch of science that incorporates other branches of science such as biology, chemistry, and etc. Since it is used almost every day “No one can dispute the importance of the contributions to society made by forensic science; the ability to solve crime is undeniably important” (Hunter 13). Forensic science has given criminal investigation a new edge. “Advances in science have opened the door for more effective evidence discovery, howev...