Forensic Science Chapter 1

Leone Lattes

A professor at the Institute of Forensic Medicine - University of Turin in Italy. In 1915, Dr. Lattes developed a simple procedure for determining the blood group of a dried blood stain

Francis Galton

Developed the first definitive study of fingerprints and developed a classification system for filing. In 1892, Galton published the book Finger Prints which contained the first statistical proof on uniqueness

Alphonse Bertillon

Developed the first scientific method of identification known as Anthropometry. Father of Criminal Identification. Anthropometry was used for two decades before being replaced by fingerprints in the early 1900's

Photography Unit

Digital imaging, infrared, Ultraviolet

Document examination unit

questioned documents, inks, papers

Daubert Criteria

1. Whether the scientific technique or theory can be (and has been) tested; 2. Whether the technique or theory has been subject to peer review and publication; 3. The technique's potential rate of error; 4. Existence and maintenance of standards controlling the technique's operation; and 5. Whether the scientific theory or method has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community.

FUNCTIONS OF THE FORENSIC SCIENTIST

Analysis of Physical Evidence Providing Expert Testimony Providing Training to Law Enforcement

Paul Kirk

In 1948, the criminology department at the University of Berkeley, was formed under the direction of this famous criminalist. The Criminalistics section of the AAFS bestows its highest honor in honor of this man. "Wherever he steps....silent witness"

THREE MAJOR AVENUES TO SOLVING A CRIME

1. Confessions 2. Eyewitness accounts by victims and witnesses 3. Evaluation of physical evidence

EXPERT WITNESS

An individual whom the court determines possesses knowledge relevant to the trial that is not expected of the average layperson.

Toxicology Unit

Body Fluids and organs for drugs and poisons. Intoxilyzer unit

EDMOND LOCARD

Educated in both medicine and law. In 1910, he obtained two rooms and two assistants and developed a police crime laboratory in Lyon, France. The founder and director of the Institute of Criminalistics at the University of Lyons.D. Developed "Locard's Exchange Theory" which states that whenever two objects come into contact, there is always a transfer of material. The methods of detection may not be sensitive enough to demonstrate this or the decay rate may be so rapid that all evidence of transfer has vanished after a given time. Nonetheless, the transfer has taken place.

Mathiew Orfila

Father of Forensic Toxicology. A Spaniard who became a Teacher of Medicine in France. Published the first scientific treatise on the detection of poisons and their effects on animals

FEDERAL RULES OF EVIDENCE RULE 702

If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise.

Karl Landsteiner

In 1901 he discovered human blood groups. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his work. A, B, AB and O

August Vollmer

In 1923, this man (a police chief) started the first forensic laboratory in the United States in Los Angeles Police Department. In the 1930s, Vollmer headed the first U.S. university institute for criminology and criminalistics at the University of California at Berkeley.

FRYE v. UNITED STATES

Just when a scientific principle or discovery crosses the line between the experimental and demonstrable stages is difficult to define. Somewhere in this twilight zone the evidential force of the principle must be recognized, and while the courts will go a long way in admitting expert testimony deduced from a well-recognized scientific principle or discovery, the thing from which the deduction is made must be sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the particular field in which it belongs.

Latent Fingerprint Unit

Processing for fingerprints

Forensic Science

That scientific and professional discipline directed toward the recognition, identification, evaluation and individualization of physical evidence by the application of the natural, life and social sciences to law-science matters

KUMHO TIRE CO., LTD v. CARMICHAEL

The court ruled that the "gatekeeping" role of the trial judge applied not only to scientific testimony, but to all expert testimony.

COPPOLINO v. STATE OF FLORIDA

The tests by which the medical examiner sought to determine whether death was caused by succinylcholine chloride were novel and devised specifically for this case. This does not render the evidence inadmissible. Society need not tolerate homicide until there develops a body of medical literature about some particular lethal agent.

DAUBERT v. MERRELL DOW

The trial judge will act as the "gatekeeper" and will use the following guidelines to gauge the veracity of scientific evidence.

Albert Osborn

This man was responsible for the acceptance of documents as scientific evidence by the courts. In 1910, he authored the first significant text in the field - this text was entitled Questioned Documents. This text is still used as a primary reference by forensic document examiners today.

Calvin Goddard

U. S. Army Colonel. Developed the comparison microscope as the indispensable tool of the modern firearms examiner

Evidence Collection Unit

Unit that collects evidence

HANS GROSS

Was a public prosecutor and judge in Austria. In 1893, he wrote the classic work entitled Criminal Investigation in which he detailed how investigators could expect assistance from the fields of microscopy, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, zoology, botany, anthropometry and fingerprinting. Introduced the forensic journal Kriminologie which still serves as a medium for reporting scientific crime detection methodologies.

J. EDGAR HOOVER

Was director of the FBI in 1932 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation organized the first national laboratory offering forensic services to all law enforcement agencies in the country.

Walter McCrone, Ph.D

World's preeminent microscopist. Founded McCrone Reseach Institute in Chicago - educated thousands of forensic scientist. Worked on the Shroud of Turin

Voiceprint Analysis Unit

cases involving telephone threats or tape recorded messages.

Physical sciences

drugs, glass, paint, explosives, soil, fibers, botanic materials, hairs, gunshot residue.

Polygraph Unit

lie detector, not admissible in court.