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The role of forensic science in investigation
Usefulness of forensic scientists in criminal investigations
Processing of the crime scene
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CSI and forensics have recently been very popular, leading to shows and books focusing on this interesting detective work. Forensic science is the use of science in the field of criminal law. Forensic scientists have different jobs, such as investigating, running test, and analyzing evidence. Most forensic scientists have an undergraduate degree in a scientific or mathematical field. There are different fields and categories in which these scientists perform their tests and studies. But no matter which field of forensics you do, all forensic scientists have one thing in common; they use science to solve their cases. These scientists solve crimes by analyzing physical evidence found at the crime scene. Forensic scientists decipher crimes using …show more content…
There are different fields in forensics, and you’ll need a degree in a scientific or mathematic subject. To be more specific, you’ll need at least an undergraduate degree in math, chemistry, biology, and physics, to name a few. The three main fields of forensic science are field science, laboratory science, and medical science. First, field scientists collect evidence, prevent the contamination of evidence, and provide theories as to what they think happened. When collecting evidence, the field scientist must be very careful and aware of their surroundings. They usually wear plastic suits and gloves so that their fingerprints, hair, saliva, and DNA do not contaminate the evidence. However, if it does become contaminated, the scientist is at risk of ruining a piece of evidence that might have been very useful. While looking at the crime scene, they may also suggest theories that might be possible. Next, laboratory scientists analyze physical evidence, DNA samples, and ballistics (the study of the motion of projectiles like bullets). Laboratory scientists do most of the analyzing. One of their jobs is to find DNA samples and test evidence for clues leading to their perpetrator. The analyzation of fingerprints, writing, drugs and more depends on them. They study ballistics, and they find out the weapon type, the distance from the gun to the target, and the angle in which it was fired. Lastly, …show more content…
While on the scene, the field scientists will most likely create theories to give them a good idea of what may have happened. They will come up with multiple theories because, in reality, they don’t know what really happened. Sometimes their first theory is correct, but other times, none of their theories make sense. Once the theories have been determined, they will try to prove them using evidence that has been collected. Sometimes, their evidence might be faulty, incorrect, or not strong enough, so they will need other sources to strengthen their illustration. The evidence is carefully examined using different science techniques, depending on the type of evidence (faces, fingerprints, DNA, etc.). So, evidence must be concrete, and there cannot be any holes in their case. They can reinforce their proof by calling up witnesses, alibis, and suspects. Witnesses are people who saw the crime or accident take place. Alibis are people or evidence that prove that someone was not at the scene of the crime and that they are not involved in the way you think they are, or at all. Lastly, a suspect is a person who is believed to be guilty of a crime. These people can help prove a theory brought on by a scientist. They can tell what they saw, how everything went down, and who was there at the time of the accident. But to really prove their case, the forensic scientist needs to be very accurate, detailed, and unbiased. They
Since the airing of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the other televised series that followed have led jurors to compare fiction with reality. The shows have changed the view on the real world of forensic science as the series have a world of forensic science of their own. For this paper the televised series titled Bones by forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs will be used as an example for comparison. In the series Bones Dr. Temperance Brenan arrives at the scene of the crime to examine the skeletal remains found in the scene of the crime equipped with one or more forensic kits. Upon momentarily examining the skeletal remains Dr. Brenan is able to determine the gender, ethnicity, and age. When this type of scenario is compared to nonfictional
Forensic Science Introduction: Someone in a restaurant has suddenly fallen ill and a mystery powder has been discovered with the victim. As the chief investigator, your duty is to identify the mystery substance through a lab. In this lab, it will consist of five known compounds and one unknown compound. Your job is to distinguish which one out of the five substances is the mystery powder. To figure out the mystery matter you will have to compare their physical and chemical properties and match them with the appropriate compound.
Crime is a common public issue for people living in the inner city, but is not limited to only urban or highly populated cities as it can undoubtedly happen in small community and rural areas as well. In The Real CSI, the documentary exemplified many way in which experts used forensic science as evidence in trial cases to argue and to prove whether a person is innocent or guilty. In this paper, I explained the difference in fingerprinting technology depicted between television shows and in reality, how DNA technology change the way forensics evidence is used in the court proceedings, and how forensic evidence can be misused in the United States adversarial legal system.
I began this year considering a career in forensics. After delving into the field in detail however, I see that it is a very delicate science and easily open to misinterpretation. There are many variables within forensics, the first and foremost being that of the CSI effect and how it influences our expectations of the capabilities of forensic science. While it's true that great advances have been made in the area of forensic science, it's unrealistic to expect a crime scene to be processed, evidence analyzed and a conclusive forensics report to be completed in a short time and be completely accurate 100% of the time. Forensic science has a lot of room for improvement, and understanding if, how, and why shows like CSI affect the field is of high priority. After all, this is real life and not a TV show.
Crime scene investigators, also known as CSIs, have played an essential role in protecting citizens, by proving who is guilty, and who is innocent. CSIs use a large amount of Science and Math skills to solve crimes, resulting in a decent income. They are specialized in forensic science in order to examine crime scenes and recover important evidence (Career Cruising).
One scientist was able to tell what a person had done his or her entire life, be it sitting at a desk twenty-four seven or playing professional tennis. The way forensic anthropology is used in an investigation is when a body is found that is beyond recognition, whether it be burned or decomposed. These scientists will clean the bones after a forensic pathologist has looked at the body to see if there are any noticeable differences in the organs or tissues. Once that is done, they will do a facial reconstruction on the skull. Most of the time, this is done to get a positive identification on the body. Then, they will examine the entire skeletal remains, looking for nicks, broken bones, anything that could help identify how the victim was killed. All of these processes take a lot of time to complete, but once they are done, the rewards are worth
...work in many areas of forensic science, from emergency wound and trauma care to coroner’s offices. There is also jobs available as a criminalistics which is the person who analyze, compare, identify, and interpret physical evidence says Lerner (Lerner 1-2).
The criminal justice system has changed a lot since the good old days of the Wild West when pretty much anything was legal. Criminals were dealt with in any fashion the law enforcement saw fit. The science of catching criminals has evolved since these days. We are better at catching criminals than ever and we owe this advancement to forensic science. The development of forensic science has given us the important techniques of fingerprinting and DNA analysis. We can use these techniques to catch criminals, prove people's innocence, and keep track of inmates after they have been paroled. There are many different ways of solving crimes using forensic evidence. One of these ways is using blood spatter analysis; this is where the distribution and pattern of bloodstains is studied to find the nature of the event that caused the blood spatter. Many things go into the determination of the cause including: the effects of various types of physical forces on blood, the interaction between blood and the surfaces on which it falls, the location of the person shedding the blood, the location and actions of the assailant, and the movement of them both during the incident. Another common type of forensic evidence is trace evidence. This is commonly recovered from any number of items at a crime scene. These items can include carpet fibers, clothing fibers, or hair found in or around the crime scene. Hairs recovered from crime scenes can be used as an important source of DNA. Examination of material recovered from a victim's or suspect's clothing can allow association to be made between the victim and other people, places, or things involved in the investigation. DNA analysis is the most important part of forensic science. DNA evidence can come in many forms at the crime scene. Some of these forms include hair; bodily fluids recovered at the crime scene or on the victim's body, skin under the victim's fingernails, blood, and many others. This DNA can be the basis of someone's guilt or innocence; it has decided many cases in the twentieth century. As the times continue to change and the criminals get smarter we will always need to find new ways to catch them. Forensic science is the most advanced method yet, but is only the beginning. As the field of science grows so will the abilities of the
The overall goal of a forensic scientist is to determine the facts using all the available resources they were given. They give their expert opinion to the attorneys, judge, and jury, and depending on how well prepared they are, can sway the jury to either a guilty or innocent verdict (Thinkquest 2014). In general, a forensic expert must keep impeccable records of all that has b...
Forensic scientists apply the studies of science to areas of crime and law enforcement. They are essential in the solving of all crimes for without them there would be no way to study and use evidence. To become a forensic scientist one must go through intense training and education as well as the basic education needed for any career. There are many different areas of forensic sciences including odontology, anthropology, and toxicology. Math is a crucial aspect of any forensic science. Forensic scientist Detective Sergeant Schiele, from the Concord Police Department says “never stop learning.”
Forensic Science has contributed to our world a great deal. People often misunderstand Forensic Science and believe it is much more capable than it really is. As a matter of fact what you see on T.V. is around 80% false or over exaggerated in some way. To Start of, Criminal Investigation is the largest and most known form of Forensic Science. Some of the more known areas include; Fingerprinting, Ballistics, DNA Identification, Fiber Samples, Computer Animation, Documentation analysis, etc. To get this out of the way in the beginning, what you saw on last night’s law and order is far from the truth. Things they do in a matter of hours take months at a time, and most of the time aren’t even plausible concepts.
Crime Scene Investigation For my assignment, I will be looking into the case of James Bulger, aged 2 years old, who was kidnapped and murdered by John Venables and Robert Thompson on February 12th 1993. Through evidence found at the crime scene and testimonial statements, the police saw that the two boys, ages 11, abducted James from Bootle Strand Shopping Center, Liverpool. They took him on a long, aimless walk where they brutally attacked him and left him for dead. In my assignment I will show how work done by the police, forensic scientists and Investigators helped to convict Jon and Robert.
Forensics Anthropology is the study that goes beyond the human skeleton. A forensics anthropologist can find out. How a person lived, the food that person ate, and the overall make-up of a human. The use of forensics has grown in recent years, it is used to solve crimes and locate missing persons. Snow, (1982) Forensics anthropology is not a new science. The first case forensics anthropology was used on was the Jezebel case, dating back to the nineteenth century. This case involved a person, who was thrown from a window. Snow, (1982) The remains found in this case were the skull, feet, and the palm of the victim’s hands.
The education level chosen depends on what kind of forensic job you are interested in and what salary you are going for. Most entry-level forensic positions require a bachelor’s degree in forensic or natural science (see Anne 1996). Undergraduate programs consist of toxicology, biochemistry, and criminal justice classes. The American Academy of Forensic Sciences also recommends English classes. This is because forensic scientists need very honed written and oral communication capabilities to write detailed reports and testify to physical evidence in court.
“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...