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Use of forensics in investigation
Use of forensics in investigation
Methods of forensic investigation
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Forensic Evidence Collection and Analysis
1. Without regard to individual items of forensic evidence, describe the steps necessary to ensure that items, materials, and samples are eligible as forensic evidence in a criminal proceeding.
First, identify and secure the crime scene by establishing the scene dimensions and identify potential safety and health hazards until released by the investigator who has authority on the scene. Second, establish security who will document personnel entering and exiting the scene as well as the purpose for doing so and the time. Third, the lead investigator conducts a walk through to make a plan about how to collect evidence. Fourth, document and process the scene using photographs, videos, and sketches. Fifth,
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If the suspect volunteers any statement, including documents of what he or she said with notes date, time, location, and circumstance of the statement the evidence will be eligible as testimonial evidence in a criminal proceeding. (https://www.ovcttac.gov/taskforceguide/eguide/2-forming-a-task-force/22-purpose-and-focus/). Also you must inform the suspect of his “Miranda” rights and affirm that all of the rights were understood by the suspect. Next, the suspect can voluntary or intentional relinquishment some of the rights before speaking to the investigators without council present. During any communication though, if suspect invokes his right to council the interview must stop. As for the juvenile, his legal guardian or a legal representative has to be present if a juvenile is in fact arrested, detained or taken into custody; or if the police do something that would make a reasonable person feel like he was in custody or not free to leave, any questioning in that situation is considered “custodial interrogation.”
Other evidence located within the grave consisted of a generic watch, two cigarette butts, a button, a washer and a shell casing. All of these could be analysed for finger prints and DNA. The cigarette butts would also show a serial number indicating the brand (shown in Figure 3), which can be useful if it is found a victim or offender smokes a particular type of cigarette.
From a trial strategy point of view, you always start with the piece(s) of evidence you believe are most damaging to the client's case and work backwards looking for an exploitable flaw in the search and seizure procedure that would make that or those item(s) inadmissible. The further back in the series of events you can argue a fatal flaw, the more likely that the evidence and any additional materials which flowed from that particular item of evidence will be excluded. This is the practical analysis of all the times we see or hear of law enforcement arguing that there was some technical item which drew their attention and suspicion and justifies their hunch that criminal activity is afoot.
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; Working the Scene--Different Stages; and Working the Scene--Different Skills (Genge vii-viii). Included are instructions on what professionals should do upon arriving at a crime scene, what items to bring with them, how to protect the crime scene, and how to protect the evidence from contamination. In addition to writing about the subject of forensic science, the author also included several appendixes and suggested readings to help the reader learn even more information about the subject. In addition, the author included a list of colleges that offer programs in the field of forensic science.
In order for evidence to be used in court, it must be collected and tested by valid methods. The collection of evidence must be completed carefully and properly to prevent cross-contaminating or destroying the evidence. Before evidence can be collected at a crime scene, the area must be secured to ensure everyone stays safe and that the evidence is not destroyed. After the scene is secured by all proper measures, the collection process can begin. The first items to be collected are those that are transient, fragile or perishable. Hair, fibers and small shards of glass are all
The first thing that should be thought about prior to any form of interrogation is the suspect’s rights; particularly his or her Miranda Rights. Also known as the Miranda warnings, “the purpose of [which] depends on whether you are the law enforcement officer or the suspect. From a suspect's point of view, it is to remind you that you have a Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. From an officer's point of view, it is to help preserve the admissibility of your statements in a criminal proceeding” (Second Call Defense, 2014). There are four main principles to the Miranda statement that an officer will read; although the exact wording may change from police department to police department. Miranda warnings or rights basically state that: you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you, you have the right to an attorney, and you may be appointed an attorney if you cannot afford one. In addition, an individual may wave his rights outlined within the Miranda statements. Suspects can waive their rights to a lawyer and to remain silent by knowingly and voluntari...
The criminal justice system has changed a lot since the good old days of the Wild West when pretty much anything was legal. Criminals were dealt with in any fashion the law enforcement saw fit. The science of catching criminals has evolved since these days. We are better at catching criminals than ever and we owe this advancement to forensic science. The development of forensic science has given us the important techniques of fingerprinting and DNA analysis. We can use these techniques to catch criminals, prove people's innocence, and keep track of inmates after they have been paroled. There are many different ways of solving crimes using forensic evidence. One of these ways is using blood spatter analysis; this is where the distribution and pattern of bloodstains is studied to find the nature of the event that caused the blood spatter. Many things go into the determination of the cause including: the effects of various types of physical forces on blood, the interaction between blood and the surfaces on which it falls, the location of the person shedding the blood, the location and actions of the assailant, and the movement of them both during the incident. Another common type of forensic evidence is trace evidence. This is commonly recovered from any number of items at a crime scene. These items can include carpet fibers, clothing fibers, or hair found in or around the crime scene. Hairs recovered from crime scenes can be used as an important source of DNA. Examination of material recovered from a victim's or suspect's clothing can allow association to be made between the victim and other people, places, or things involved in the investigation. DNA analysis is the most important part of forensic science. DNA evidence can come in many forms at the crime scene. Some of these forms include hair; bodily fluids recovered at the crime scene or on the victim's body, skin under the victim's fingernails, blood, and many others. This DNA can be the basis of someone's guilt or innocence; it has decided many cases in the twentieth century. As the times continue to change and the criminals get smarter we will always need to find new ways to catch them. Forensic science is the most advanced method yet, but is only the beginning. As the field of science grows so will the abilities of the
The evidence collected from the scene should be properly packaged, labeled and sealed before it is delivered to the laboratory for testing. Proper labeling is essential for laboratory applications as well as for court usage. All the items to be submitted to the laboratory should have the name or the names of the suspects or victims, a brief description of the contents of the package, the location the item was collected, the investigator's name and the date and time the items were collected. It is also imperative to place different items in different packages to avoid cross contamination. The packaging containers should be properly selected according to the items to be packaged. Sealing the outer packages of the evidence helps in maintaining the quality of evidence and ensures that the evidence is not tampered with while being delivered to the laboratory. It is also significant to take into consideration safety issues while packaging the evidence. Where the contents of the packages contain items that are likely to be hazardous it is critical to label such packages appropriately to avoid harm.
Forensic Science, recognized as Forensics, is the solicitation of science to law to understand evidences for crime investigation. Forensic scientists are investigators that collect evidences at the crime scene and analyse it uses technology to reveal scientific evidence in a range of fields. Physical evidence are included things that can be seen, whether with the naked eye or through the use of magnification or other analytical tools. Some of this evidence is categorized as impression evidence2.In this report I’ll determine the areas of forensic science that are relevant to particular investigation and setting out in what method the forensic science procedures I have recognized that would be useful for the particular crime scene.
The Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Effect is a phenomenon in which television programs that feature forensic science, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds and the Law and Order franchise, have influenced the approach jurors use to assess evidence in a criminal trial. This poses a challenge when prosecuting a defendant as it gives jurors improbable expectations. As the use of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) testing, hand writing analysis, and testing of gunshot residue has become prevalent in television programs, jurors have come to expect the use of such testing in trials, which, in turn, has influenced the way cases are investigated and prosecuted, but has not necessarily influenced the rate of acquittals and convictions.
Collection of evidence is usually a term designated to refer to the collection of physical evidence, government agencies such as police or environmental protection departments will have their own methods for the collection, storage and conservation of physical evidence and it is the responsibility of forensic personnel to adhere to these set guidelines. General principles which are shared amongst various agencies include, the creation of contemporaneous notes, recording the collection of evidence via photographing, videotaping and/or audiotapes, preserving the crime scene by sealing off the location and only allowing designated personnel to enter, avoiding contamination of the crime scene by investigators through the use of full body covering and also preventing cross-contamination with the scene and any suspects.
There are six stages of examination of data in Forensics: Readiness, Evaluation, Collection, Analysis, Presentation and Review. The first stage is Forensic Readiness and it contains effective level of digital evidence so that could be used in any legal matters or in court law. This stage helps discovering electronic evidence quickly and can be send to examiner when requested. This stage is really important since it will helps to figure out as much as evidences are out. Evaluation stage includes describing of instructions which are unclear.
Collecting evidence from a crime scene is a crucial aspect of solving crimes. Before evidence can be seized, there must first be a court order approving the search of the crime scene and the seizure of the evidence found at the scene. Standard protocol for officers is for them to always use latex gloves, avoid plastic bags, double wrap small objects, package each object separately, and to collect as much evidence as possible. It is better to have too much evidence than to not have enough. There are countless amounts of evidence that can be found at a crime scene.
When there is a criminal case, are a set of guidelines a criminal investigator should follow when conducting a preliminary inquiry. These guidelines consist of arriving to a crime scene in a timely manner just in case the suspect may still be at or near the scene (Hess, K.M & Orthmann, C.H., 2013). They will need to take care of any injured person or people that may need emergency care. Check to see if there are any witness seen what had happen. Make sure the crime scene is safe and secured. Once the crime scene became secured that will be the time to start questioning the victims, witness and or the suspects. This would also be the time for some officers to conduct a neighborhood canvass (Hess, K.M & Orthmann, C.H., 2013). Measuring, taking photograph, videotape and sketching the scene just in case the weather is bad that day. Search for evidence,
There are several steps that need to be taken in order to process a crime scene. Some of the steps include: securing the scene, a detailed search, documenting the crime scene, collecting and preserving evidence, and finally releasing the scene. All of the following steps are crucial to avoid any possible contamination or otherwise compromise the scene before it can be released. Few, if any additional opportunities exist when processing a crime scene, so the first time is most pertinent.
Properly maintaining a crime scene is crucial in evidence collection. Before handling a firearm or other firearm related evidence, the location and condition of the weapon must be properly documented and photographed. It is important to take as many photographs as possible,and every photograph should be logged accordingly. You will want to start with medium-range photographs to identify the location of the firearm at the crime scene. You will do this with, and