Definition of Forensic Science

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 02:40:04 +0000

Forensics is a field of science dedicated to the methodical gathering and analysis of evidence to establish facts that can be presented in a legal proceeding. Though crime scenes and laboratories are perhaps, most often associated with forensics, there is also computer or network forensics, forensic accounting, forensic engineering and forensic psychiatry, among other specialized fields that are today an integral part of forensics. In the United States of America, forensics was a fairly obscure topic for the general public until the double-murder trial of Orenthal James Simpson in 1995. In the historic case that gripped the entire nation, weeks of testimony were heard on DNA blood evidence, shoeprint evidence, fiber evidence and other forensics. Since then, a bevy of forensics-based television shows have regularly topped the ratings, making it a household word.

Those who collect forensic evidence must follow strict procedures to protect the evidence from getting contaminated or destroyed, and must preserve the chain of custody. Since science is unbiased and sound, forensics is considered a very critical part of any investigation. While witnesses may often be mistaken, have credibility issues, hold a stake in the outcome, have fading memories, or even pass away, forensics “tells the same story” no matter how many times it is tested, or how many years have passed.

The field of forensics is so vast that it requires specialists or criminalists at every point of investigation, from tire track analysis, to odontology, to the lands and grooves that make every gun barrel unique. From microscopic evidence and transfer evidence such as fibers and hair, to blood splatter and forensic entomology, there are many fields of specialization within forensic science.

Though forensics deals with circumstantial evidence, it is often widely considered as the best and the most compelling evidence that any prosecution or defense lawyer can have in his or her arsenal. Some people suggest that the public’s awareness of forensic science might be potentially compromising to law enforcement, producing educated criminals who might be more apt to try and effect a clean crime scene. Experts generally tend to believe that it is nearly impossible to avoid leaving behind trace evidence at a crime scene, even when extraordinary efforts are made to the contrary.

By: Elizabeth Morgan

Fingerprinting in Forensic Science

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:55:39 +0000

Fingerprints collected from a crime scene, or from items of evidence from a crime, can be used in forensic science to identify suspects, victims and other persons who touched the surface in question. Fingerprint identification emerged as an important system within various police agencies in the late 19th century. This system replaced anthropometric measurements as a more reliable method for identifying persons having a prior record, often under an alias name, in a criminal record repository. The science of fingerprint identification stands out among all other forensic sciences for many reasons because of its superiority and reliability.

Worldwide, fingerprinting has served all governments during the past 100 years to provide accurate identification of criminals. No two fingerprints have ever been found alike in the billions of human and automated computer comparisons. Fingerprints have become the very basis for criminal history foundation at almost every police agency.

The first forensic professional organization, the International Association for Identification (IAI), was established in 1915. It established the first professional certification program for forensic scientists, the IAI’s Certified Latent Print Examiner program in 1977, issuing certification to those meeting stringent criteria and revoking certification for serious errors such as erroneous identifications.

Fingerprints remain the most commonly used forensic evidence the world over. In most jurisdictions, fingerprint examination cases outnumber all other forensic examination casework combined. It continues to expand as the premier method for identifying persons, with tens of thousands of persons added to fingerprint repositories daily in America alone – far outdistancing similar databases in growth. Fingerprinting has outperformed DNA and all other human identification systems to identify more murderers, rapists and other serious offenders (fingerprints solve ten times more unknown suspect cases than DNA in most jurisdictions).

Although some reporters and authors claim that fingerprints have long enjoyed a mystique of infallibility, the opposite is true. Fingerprint identification was the first forensic discipline in 1977 to formally institute a professional certification program for individual experts, including a procedure for decertifying those making any investigative errors. Other forensic disciplines later followed suit in establishing certification programs whereby certifications could be revoked for any error found.

Fingerprint identifications lead to far more positive identifications of persons worldwide daily than any other human identification procedure. The American federal government alone effects positive identification of over 70,000 persons. A large percentage of the identifications, approximately 92% of US Visit identifications, are affected in lights-out, no human involved computer identification process with 100% accuracy based on only two fingerprints.

By: Elizabeth Morgan

Science research » Forensic Evidence

Definition of Forensic Science

Fingerprinting in Forensic Science