History of Forensic Science

Have you ever wondered how investigators figure out who the criminal is in the investigations? Is it luck or is it science? Forensic Science is the use of scientific principals to analyze information connected to a crime and who committed it. One type of forensics is autopsies. In the Rage and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier, investigators did some analysis of the crime scene, but should have used other forms of forensic science to solve the crime. The use of forensics in the novel hindered the investigation.

Though this type of forensic photography was also created for the purpose of documenting, identifying and convicting, it allows more room for creative interpretation and variance of style. It includes taking pictures of the victim (scars, wounds, birthmarks, etc.) for the purpose of identification or conviction; and pictures of the scene (placement of objects, position of body, photos of evidence and fingerprints). The development of this type of forensic photography is responsible for radical changes in the field, including public involvement (crime photos appearing in the newspaper) and new interpretations and purposes of the field

“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

Eyewitness misidentification can pose a serious threat in forensic evidence. Eye witness testimony can easily be tampered with due to words or phrases used. Bias is a major issue in identification especially if the police officer uses suggestive tones to portray whom they believe is the suspect. Some witnesses will change their opinion when they hear new information of the suspect. A study has shown that words can play a major impact in the witness' mind and cause them to recall false information. False information can also stem from human memory, age, distance, and how long it took before a witness could recall the information. It has been shown that due to the confidence that a witness may have, it could impact the court systems' reliability on the witness; however, there are several solutions that can be done to prevent misidentification in the court of law. Some examples that can be done are blind administration, lineup composition, instructions, confidence statements, and

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

In the 21 century forensic science has developed immensely since the 1700’s-1800’s. The technology does a big part in forensic science and it makes the job that much easier on how to identify the subject of the

Forensic science in the 1940s - 1970s is still being used today to determine the suspect of a crime. During the late 1900s, Forensic scientist began to determine different pieces of evidence that could lead them to the suspect of a crime. Scientist began to realized that they could use technology to help them identify suspects of a murder. According to Elkins Kelly, “ Forensic science is a broad field that includes the discipline of pathology, psychiatry, engineering, computer science, toxicology, odontology, anthropology, and botany, as well as the chemical, physical and biological sciences.”(Kelly,1). Scientist have identified new ways to determine the suspect of crimes. Voice recordings became very essential in the 1940s -1970s as evidence

Alphonse Bertillon devised a system simply called, The Bertillon System. This was a first attempt at criminal identification and was thought to be reliable and accurate. Bertillon developed an anthropometric system of physical measurements of body parts, especially components of the head and face. This system was used primarily to determine if a person in custody had committed a previous crime. Archives of these records began to be compiled. A form of this system is still used today, but we now call them “mugshots”. (Bertillon System of Criminal Identification, 2011). Although mugshots are still used today, anthropometry was

There are many types of investigations. Forensic investigations have been used all throughout history. There are many different parts many different scientists have contributed to forensic investigations. Missing persons, arson, murder, and kidnapping all require the help of a forensic investigation. One of these contributors reigns to be a man by the name of Alec Jeffreys. His addition to the large amount of information regarding forensic investigations has proved extremely useful to society.

A forensic practitioner can never be biased in an investigation and to ensure ethical behavior some departments have implemented a code of ethics. Although there is a lot of room for error, no forensic investigator wants to live with the possibility that an innocent person is punished or a guilty person escaped prosecution. For all the negative cases on the news there will be a plethora of cases that did not have any problems. Any time a crime scene investigator enters a crime scene, there is a possibility of contamination. A forensic specialist must present an unbiased testimony that is a clear and accurate representation of a crime scene. The room for error in forensic science is rather spacious, however there inaccuracies in any field of science. These errors along with false portrayal of forensic science in the media and strenuous work hours make the job of a forensic scientist excruciatingly

Fingerprinting was still in the process of being developed. A classification scheme appeared in 1901 and first used in a trial in the UK in 1902. Dental records were non-existent and blood grouping only developed after the identification of the different types in 1901. From that it became possible to serologically identify other body fluids. DNA was not discovered until 1953 and the unique identification of individuals by DNA profiling did not follow until 1985. In 1910, an important principle of forensic science was established by Edmund Locart who suggested that every contact leaves a trace; a criminal will always carry away with him some trace from the scene of the crime and will leave behind some trace of his presence. This is the very foundation of forensic science that has led to the

The book gives a general overview of the field of forensic science. The sections of the book include “The Scene of the Crime; Working the Scene--The Evidence; Working the Scene of the Body Human;

Although Forensics is used for science but it could be more than just science. The author mood was curious sand wanted the reader to be coneem. If you trying to investigate you should got to Forensics. This Article could be recommend to people who is a law student, government,

Forensic science is a broad term that refers to the use of science or technology in a court room environment. Forensic science plays an important role in modern popular culture; the police procedural is highly dependent upon cutting-edge forensic science. Moreover, many people are aware of the impact of DNA testing on the modern criminal justice landscape. However, forensic science actually predates many modern scientific advances; almost as long as there have been controversies, there has been some type of forensic science.

Forensic science borrows from a number of sciences which include: physics, Biology and chemistry. It therefore involves examination of a wide spectrum as compared to any other method of investigation. Due to the wide spectrum of investigation and evidence analysis the method offers; it ensures that the results are accurate and can be used in the court of law to make a decision. The method establishes the existence of a crime, the connection between the crimes and the