The Fight Against Crime Paper

DNA forensics is a division of forensic science that focuses on the use of genetic material in criminal investigation to answer questions pertaining to legal situations, including criminal and civil cases. Through DNA testing, law enforcement officers are able to identify human remains or the individual responsible for a crime. DNA testing is a highly advanced scientific process that involves replicating the human DNA sequence to create a genetic map of an individual. Because of its reliability, DNA testing has become a significant factor in criminal cases. However, it has also been identified as having the potential to violate privacy and constitutional rights. The DNA identification process consists of five stages. These five stages

“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

Forensic evidence plays a huge role in most criminal cases. After the Daubert trial, forensic scientific evidence was reevaluated in criminal and civil cases. Scientific and forensic types of evidence can be extremely helpful in proving the case. It can help identify the suspect in a criminal case. That will help put a criminal in prison. There are many different types of forensic evidence that can be considered as scientific evidence. The different types include DNA matching, fingerprint identification, and hair evidence. The methods used to show these types of evidence are usually beyond the scope of knowledge that judges and juries know. Those types of forensic evidence are usually introduced as scientific evidence. Scientific evidence can sometimes be omitted from a courtroom or

DNA from animals and plants can also be utilized in criminal forensics. One of the most common applications of this is the analysis of pet hair from a crime scene, which often links its owner to the crime. DNA fingerprints have also been applied to cannabis plants, and a database is being created to trace samples to their sources. This has been extremely successful so far, as this technology can distinguish between closely related, carefully bred plants (Westphal, 2003). Heather Miller Coyle of the Connecticut

Forensic science has become the greatest collective method for intelligence gathering of human identifiers. The forensic sciences are used around the world to resolve civil disputes, to justly the enforcement of criminal laws and government regulations, and to protect public health. Over the years, judges have trusted forensic methods without a second thought. DNA analysis is the most reliable method that forensic has, but how reliable is it? (Jonathan Jones, pbs). According to a group called The Innocence Project, “Misapplication of forensic science is the second most common contributing factor to wrongful convictions, found in nearly half (46%) of DNA exoneration cases” (Innocence project).

He then goes on to acknowledge the use of DNA databases and how they work to apprehend repeat offenders. Hurst focuses on the South African Police Service and their need for an expansion of their DNA database to help solve criminal cases. Hurst then goes on to explain the legislation that has been proposed that will ensure that all criminals arrested will be put into the national DNA database and that only registered medical practitioners will be allowed to receive and store the evidence. He concludes his article by explaining the risk of having the database run by a private

Forensic and DNA casework has been a major player in catching these cold blooded killers. Since most investigators have to work from clues, they rely on these sources to lead them in the right direction. Many findings such as, blood, weapons, hair, or any source of DNA can help put the puzzle pieces of these cases together. This has solved many cases, and is a strong piece of evidence in the judicial system.

Advances in DNA technology has expanded greatly in the world of forensic science. In the past a vast number of crime scene evidence was not considered for analysis is now being tested. Trace DNA is more effective in this century when convicting a criminal than it was 20-30 years ago. Due to the consist improvement of DNA technology forensic scientist are able to put away criminals the correct way.

One way of how DNA Evidence affects us is by using it to identify either identified or unidentified suspects. Before DNA evidence was found, only the work of physical evidence was provided to make arrests. For example, there was little physical evidence for the Ted Bundy case. What lead to his arrest and soon to his death in 1989 was the ability to match the bite mark on his victim that lead to his crooked and chipped teeth. According to the Department of Justice, if a suspect is identified, a sample of his or her DNA will be given so that it can be compared to the evidence found. Although, if a suspect has not yet been identified evidence from the crime scene can help connect the offender through the profiles in the DNA Database. This affects

My goal for this assignment is to define and differentiate criminal and non-criminal psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and general criminal behavior. I will also articulate the role of compulsive and addictive behavior in criminal and non-criminal psychopathy, discuss criminal profiling from other types of forensic evaluation, and analyze predatory behaviors based on the co-occurrence of crime scene behaviors. In closing I will develop a profile of a serial predator based on offender, victim, and crime scene characteristics.

With regard to the US, where social science and STS research have, focused less on forensic databases and more on the production of expertise and evidence in court, Jay Aronson provided a historical account of the early practices, the scientific and legal controversies, and the ultimately successful acceptance of forensic DNA evidence in court in 2007. Another particularity of social science and STS research in this domain is that it has so far mostly concentrated its “high end” forensic technologies, namely those which received a lot of public attention because they were new, because stakeholders in the criminal justice system struggled to determine the parameters of scientific reliability and admissibility, or because they were prominently featured in the media. While the use of DNA analysis for police investigations and forensic casework dates back to the late 1980s, the second half of the 1990s marked the beginning of the quest to render DNA profiles systematically and routinely searchable and minable by setting up centralized DNA databases in many countries around the world. A DNA molecule is a long, twisting chain known as a double helix. DNA looks pretty complex, but it's really made of only four nucleotides: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine. These nucleotides exist as base pairs that link together like a ladder. Adenine and Thymine always bond together as a pair, and Cytosine and Guanine bond together as a pair.

However, fingerprint can be contaminated if investigators are not careful, in which could lead to false conclusion and could develop false leads. Further, professional criminals would often avoid contaminating their crime by wearing gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints. The introduction of DNA methods has helped provide viable evidence for investigators. This is because DNA can leave traces such as, saliva, hair sweat and dandruff just to name a few. The DNA testing has also been accepted by the courts due to its accuracy and value to support evidence. (Hess, Orthmann, Cho, 2013)

There is a panacea to crime. To commit a crime, one must break the law. Therefore, if we erase law, we erase crime. Of course, the solution is not that simple. The causes of crime are complex, varying from poverty, to our parents, to psychopathy. It could be argued that society creates the criminal. Nonetheless, it would be inaccurate and inappropriate to absolve all responsibility from the offender(s). A combination of biological, psychological, and social factors all contribute to a person’s criminality and risk for violence. We need to target the correlations to and causes of crime at the community level, because doing so will affect a considerable number of individuals. By getting the impoverished and mentally ill off the streets and out

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

DNA fingerprinting is a scientific technology involving the extraction, replication and arrangement of strands of an organism’s DNA. This results in the formation of a genetically distinctive fingerprint that is unique to the organism which the DNA sample was originally extracted from. Because of the specificity of a DNA fingerprint, the application of this technology can have a substantial influence on many aspects of society. Accessibility to a DNA database allows for higher efficiency in forensic investigations, personal identification, maternal and paternal testing. The availability of a national database to police officers and forensic scientists would equate to increased productivity in investigations and prosecution of suspects in a