Forensic chemistry is a mystery to many. Common questions include, “What kinds of technology are used in forensic chemistry?”, “How does forensic chemistry in real life compare to what is seen on television?”, and “How can one tell whether or not evidence gained from forensic chemistry is reliable?”. An essential supplement to both the world of chemistry and that of crime solving investigation (CSI), advancing technologies within this field such as DNA fingerprinting, agglutination testing (used to test blood type), photometry (used to determine the type of poison or drug at a crime scene) (“Photometry”, 2007), and forensic odontology (making use of bite marks found at the crime scene) continue to kindle the ongoing debate of the reliability of forensic evidence and whether it should be able to be presented in a court (Schweitzer, 2007). In addition, with the growing number of crime dramas seen on television today, forensic chemistry is sometimes misread by the general public as being synonymous to military, police, or medical work; the difference between these careers and one in, for example, forensic anthropology (individuals who can be called to crime scenes in order to divulge additional evidence) (“Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)”, 2016), are entirely different. Overall, forensic chemistry is unique in the way that it makes up the backbone both for scientific and for criminal justice fields, and without the advanced technologies used in the forensic chemistry field
When people usually hear the word forensics they usually automatically visualize crime scenes filled with things that can vary from blood, bullets, fingerprints ect. Unfortunately, it is not as cut and dry as you think, you're only seeing a small piece of the picture. The subject of forensics itself is very broad and actually involves a variety of different sciences all mixed together including, biology, chemistry, genetics, toxicology, phonetics, medicine, engineering, anthropology and many more. It is one of the fields of law enforcement, were technology and crime-solving all come together as one. Gathering the information needed to figure out what happened and the methods used to connect pieces of evidence to the crime scene were also not
Forensic science can be defined as the relationship between law and science; it answers the questions of how, why and who committed the crime, with the input of multiple actors. However, there are currently problems with
The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory was developed to provide the highest quality of professional forensic services to the State of Louisiana. The commitment of the agency includes applying sound scientific principles in all analyses, being responsive to our customers, conducting our operations in a fair and objective manner, and being a leader in advancing forensic science. The mission of the laboratory is to assist all of the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Louisiana in the investigation of criminal activity (Office of Public Safety Services, 2015). The agency is also committed to providing accurate and timely scientific analysis of items of physical evidence and reporting the results of those analyses to appropriate entities in the criminal justice community.
Many different drugs such as street drugs are mixed with a lot of simple household items, such as sugar, starch or quinine. The forensic scientist must be able to tell the difference between the substances. Many court cases that involve drugs rely exclusively on the forensic scientists findings. They must be able to prove that the substance found was actually a drug and not say a package of sugar or another legal
Tashanna N Garcia is currently enrolled in the Masters of Criminal Justice, with a concentration in Forensic Science, program at Saint Leo University. Tashanna comes from a military background where she served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Her military training was essential to her transition into law enforcement, where she spent the last ten years working for two police departments as a patrol officer and then for the Alabama Department of Public Safety as a Traffic Homicide Investigator for the State Troopers. Tashanna hopes to return to the law enforcement field in an administrative capacity and has a passion for forensic disciplines. Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Tashanna N Garcia,
In this case study Forensic Toxicology was used to solve the murder of Robert Curley and obtained the conviction of his wife Joann Curley.
Forensic science is a key aspect of Criminal Justice that helps rid the streets of lunatics and murderers. One of the most important fields of forensic science is blood spatter analysis. Under the Crime Scene Investigation, analysts gather the information that could eventually lead to a victim’s killer. Basic and complex information can be found when analyzing blood. We can learn what kind of weapon was used, the time of death of a victim and other important facts that can help a case. The pattern that the blood gives off give forensic scientists the tools that they need to help solve cases.
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
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
In the TV shows that popularized forensic science – so much so that it has become one of the most sought after majors by undergraduate college students – the fictionalized lab technicians are well trained and engage in exciting work helping to solve crimes. In real life, however, the technicians are not always well trained, they may frequently be overworked, they are usually underpaid, and they constantly battle an overload of evidence that needs to be analyzed. Furthermore, the scientific techniques they use may not be science at all.
The title of the book clearly explains what the book is about. John Emsley continues his passion for writing books based on chemistry affecting the world we live in. Emsley wrote this book on the classic chemical elements and/or compounds that were used for murder throughout history. Arsenic, cyanide, thallium, and many other poisonous elements are discussed in this book. Providing stories and the chemistry behind it, Emsley created a fascinating read for those who are interested in how the elements were implemented into murders throughout the centuries. Emsley’s books tend to contain vocabulary that may confuse some beginning chemists, so an AP chemistry class would handle the material the best. This book can connect chemistry with biology
A segment of the Forensic Science in the Criminal equity organization that the vast majority acquainted with these days, however, few individuals know how this particular science came to be. Overall, legal science is intended to utilize experimental standards to clarify obscure parts of a wrongdoing. Through the utilization of uncommon tests and lab gear that permits researchers to recognize decisively different parts of a bit of confirmation in an illegal behavior. On the off chance that you occupied with finding out about how this procedure came to fruition, you have to peruse the recorded data underneath. Here is a brief history
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;
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
Today, more than ever, the quality of evidence in criminal cases is scrutinized because of contamination. Contamination is the introduction of something that physically corrupts a substance at a crime scene that was not previously there; it comes in many forms and most often times comes from the humans who investigate a crime scene. It is imperative that prevention of cross-contamination is implemented when gathering evidence. Several of the more sensitive forensic techniques such as trace analysis, bloodspatter interpretation, and DNA comparison are not being used to their fullest potential. Items of physical crime scene evidence are not always visible to the naked eye and may be easily overlooked so deliberate and methodical approach to collection and preservation of evidence is essential. Prosecutors have lost cases due to crime scene contamination; this could be prevented by simple and productive behaviors. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a leading case on physical evidence, stated: