Forensic Science And The Criminal Justice System

“Forensic science has become in the early 21st century what the space race was in the 1960s- an accessible and inspiring (Gaensslen) into the world of science” (Gaensslen ix). This may be true but forensic has not always existed forever. Many people began hearing about forensic science during the 1990s when many of crime shows became popular. In actuality forensic science goes as far back as ancient China. Sculptors used fingerprints to identify their artwork from that of others. This may not be what forensics has evolved into but it had to begin somewhere. The first text reference of forensics first showed up in Hsi Duan Yu, which was published in about 700 CE (Hunter 18). It noted that many bodies have various characteristics that make them different. Many of the early forensic advances took place in the 1700 and 1800s. In 1784 the physical matching of evidence began. It was first used in the case of John Toms to link him and a piece of pistol wadding to a murder (Lotter). From then on forensics began to grow exponentially. “A major landmark in forensic science, the discovery that

The idea of using the science has been started before the debuting of Sherlock Holmes in 1887, who had introduced about the forensic science to help criminal investigation. In history, the work of forensic scientists was performed by medical personnel. Until the end of eighteenth century, the attempts of French medical jurist Antoine Louis, crime solving Chinese book “ Hsi Duan Yu”(the washing way of wrongs), etc gave ideas about determining time of death, analyzing blood stain, identifying chemical used in crime, etc. After eighteenth century, the modern chemistry paved new way of identifying crime like the idea of measuring height, length of right ear and outstretched

The definition of forensic science is any scientific research, method, or theory used to analyze evidence in an attempt to solve legal cases (Cho). In recent years, there has been growing public interest in forensic science, arguably because of the numerous television programs that glamorize its practices. This phenomenon is part of what is known as the CSI effect, or the process through which devoted fans of popular crime dramas develop unrealistic notions of forensic science methods, practices, and their applications in real life cases (Mancini 544; Stevens 37; Ley, Jankowski, and Brewer 52). The CSI effect has had more negative impacts on forensic science and society than positive impacts, especially in regards to what goes on in the

Behind every court case there’s a train of forensic science evidence and research. Forensic science is the application of scientific principles of criminal justice. In many court cases a forensic scientists is the one on the scene collecting finger prints, photos, blood samples and other evidence. Unfortunately one of the controversial issues in the forensic world is the evidence and its lack of verification of its reliability. In the field of forensics there are issues in finding proof in generating conclusion, fundamental knowledge to solve problems, and the whole false memory defense in the court. These issues can be solved in many ways like extensive research, preparation and training. These issues

between a cut (an injury that is longer than deep) and a stab wound (an injury

Forensic science is defined as the practice of utilizing scientific methodologies to clarify judicial inquiries. The field of forensic science contains a broad range of disciplines and has become a vital aspect of criminal investigations. Some forensic disciplines are laboratory-based; while others are based on an analyst’s interpretation of observable patterns (Kourtsounis, 2009). According to the Innocence project’s website; in greater than fifty percent of wrongful convictions, the use of invalidated or improper forensic techniques played a role in cases; which were later

Forensic science is a field of criminology that utilizes scientific methods to gather and examine evidence in order to prove or disprove a crime. Forensic science involves gathering fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, tooth bite prints, blood, and hair and fiber samples and bunch of other things in order to investigate a crime scene. Ballistics techniques are employed to make out weapons in addition to voice identification methods used to recognize criminals (Nickell &Fischer, 1999).

Forensic scientist or Crime Scene Investigator uses forensic science to solve cases. (Forensic Science Investigation Unit, 2015). At the incident scene the Crime Scene Investigator would examine the incident area take pictures, look for fingerprints which can also consist of palm prints and sole prints, body fluids (DNA), tools or weapons, shoe or tire marks, fibres from material or clothing and fragments glass or paint. All these items are collected, processed and analyzed before trial. These evidence have solved many cases that were either cold cases or cases that recently

A four year college education in criminal justice, forensic science, science, or related field is required to function as a CSI. Additionally, involvement in law is required, great basic intuition and critical thinking aptitudes, scrupulousness, and super talking and composing abilities. Undergraduate students, enrolled in a degree program, can graduate in only two years. These levels of program will open doors for graduates in local, state, and government organizations. Most projects will likewise require that the candidate take a state exam to guarantee they are put in the right classes. Students will take part in training that covers both forensic science and criminal justice, which is regularly involved 60-credit hours. Key coursework

Every few seconds a new crime is being committed. More often than not, when people think of who solves these crimes, the first thing that comes to mind is detectives. However, when it crosses my mind, I automatically think of a forensic scientist and all the work they do that leads to putting the culprit away. Forensic science, by definition, is the scientific tests or techniques used in the investigation of crimes. All of the collecting and analyzing of the evidence can be done because of forensic science. To me, forensics are the most important element of crime solving, and that is why I wish to pursue a career in forensics. Every single aspect of forensic science captivates me.

The forensic sciences form a unique partnership with law enforcement and the law. This partnership is unique due to the members of each of these three field know very little of the other two, but heavily depend on them. The forensic scientist has two equally important roles. First is that of a scientist who performs investigatory examinations and laboratory tests to reach a conclusion. Second, the forensic scientist is a communicator and interpreter of those findings.

The field of forensic science seems like a captivating world. Forensic scientists assist law enforcement agencies by collecting and analyzing the evidence of a crime scene. There are many misconceptions of a forensic scientist created by television shows. Sometimes these misconceptions make forensic science look glamorous. The issue is that this is how it happens on television and in reality, forensic scientist is mind-numbing and long workdays.

Forensic science is the application of scientific analysis to tangible objects related to criminal activity. As science expands in its research, it is applied to the forensics field. Among the most prevalent is biotechnology. Biotechnology was developed by the manipulation of biological elements and remains closely tied to society and it needs. Although many of the advances and discoveries are used to produce goods as foods, and medications many of the innovations benefit forensic science as well. The biggest contribution being DNA analysis, providing additional and conclusive information on biological evidence sources, but with the use of DNA analysis comes social and ethical issues in society because of the amount of information obtained in a sample.

The National Institute of Justice defines forensic science as, “the application of science, such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and engineering to matters of law,” (2014). The emphasis here is the use of technology and science by law enforcement officers and agencies and is accepted and recognized by the criminal justice system. It is seen as scientific technology or Criminalistics, (Dempsey & Forst, 2013). While technology plays a role in this, it is most recognized by the use of science by law enforcement and allowing scientific information to be admissible in the court of law. For this reason, forensic science is seen as a method to resolve legal matters or “a scientific analysis for the purpose of judicial resolution,” (Collins, 2007, p. 2). Weather this is using chemistry, such as a drug testing kit, to determine if a substance is an illegal drug, forensic science has become fundamental to policing. Science and technology can be used and applied in many ways. This can be observed through the various branches of forensic science. These include: forensic biology/DNA, controlled substances, forensic toxicology, forensic anthropology, forensic pathology and medicolegal death investigation, impression and pattern evidence, and trace evidence, (NIJ, 2014). In these ways, law enforcement agencies are able to use science to investigate crimes and practice law enforcement. Understanding the various ways that forensic science is applied in policing, one can

Science is frequently viewed as a way to examine the world and its contiguous atmosphere. Coming from the word scientia, which is Latin and means knowledge, science is a methodical readiness that creates and arranges information in the form of testable justifications and expectations about the world that we know. Many ideas fall directly into this category. Because of this, a lot of notions and concepts can be categorized as a science discipline. It is apparent that certain science disciplines examine different features and functionalities of the universe. One specific science that is exceptionally captivating and enticing is the idea of forensics. Forensic science is a systematic technique of collecting and investigating evidence about previous events. The idea of forensic science however is a comprehensive discipline and can be fragmented down into numerous classifications. Forensic science can be distributed into such groupings as forensic psychology, forensic anthropology, forensic biology, and even, but not limited to forensic biology. The examination of forensic chemistry is unbelievably beneficial since it can be used in many aspects in life and can even be considered as a career path. One of the prime professional openings for a path in forensic chemistry is aiding and functioning with law enforcement administrators. Forensic chemistry within law enforcement is of tremendous importance since the majority of seized evidence may be evaluated that way.