As long as people have been attempting to solve crime, forensic science has been involved in some form or another. Whether it has been through deductive reasoning or modern day science, evidence must be processed and understood in order to accurately depict what truly happened. Forensics is the use of science under a legal aspect (“Forensics”), meaning that the findings are to be presented in court upon the time of trial. More often than not these cases will involve murder and a conviction of the supposed murderer as the processed evidence is presented against them. Evidence is processed in several different types of methods and techniques, and these methods and techniques have become more and more reliant on technology in the past couple of decades. Forensic Science and its methods have moved forward though the production of biotechnologies, facial reconstruction, carbon dating, ballistic science, and emerging technologies.
In the past half century, biotechnology, the creation of technologies involved in biological sciences, has changed the way forensic science uses DNA in crime solving (“Biotechnology Used in Solving Crimes”). According to “DNA in Forensic Science”, about half of all criminal cases today involve DNA evidence and a need to process it using biotechnology or DNA technology (Vitug). Biotechnology has created several different types of DNA technology which forensic scientists can now use to process DNA evidence. One of these methods includes PCR or Polymerase Chain Reaction. This method is mainly used on small amounts of DNA in order to amplify it into a more manageable amount, something that can then be used in one of the other various types of DNA technology, namely DNA fingerprinting (Vitug). As stated in “DNA Fi...
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...logy, it seems as if evidence becomes easier to process as new information is collected and new databases arise.
Forensic science has exploited advances in technology in order to develop new and more reliable methods of crime solving. In the past half-century, biotechnology has allowed for the creation of DNA technology and bioinformatics as DNA evidence is presented more in court now than in previous years. Other forensic methods have also advanced as new information has come to light and databases have been created allowing for evidence identification to become faster, easier, and more efficient. Just as the technology we use every day is still evolving, so is the technology used in forensic science, allowing for the emergence of new methods, techniques and important information to the crime solving universe of police stations and government agencies like the FBI.
A forensic evaluation is a comprehensive and elaborate process that incorporates collection, analysis, and integration of information form multiple sources. Child welfare related evaluations are one of the most complex types of forensic evaluations requiring expert opinion and recommendations on matters pertaining to child custody and visitation, parental fitness and termination of parental rights, and evaluation of adoptive and foster parents. The primary purpose of these evaluations is to inform the court and facilitate decision-making process in child welfare cases. During a child custody evaluation the main doctrine to uphold is the “best interest of the child.” The safety of the child is of paramount consideration. This along with well-being
Therefore, the criminal justice system relies on other nonscientific means that are not accepted or clear. Many of forensic methods have implemented in research when looking for evidence, but the methods that are not scientific and have little or anything to do with science. The result of false evidence by other means leads to false testimony by a forensic analyst. Another issue with forensic errors is that it is a challenge to find a defense expert (Giannelli, 2011). Defense experts are required to help the defense attorneys defend and breakdown all of the doubts in the prosecutors scientific findings in criminal cases. Scientific information is integral in a criminal prosecution, and a defense attorney needs to have an expert to assist he/she in discrediting the prosecution (Giannelli,
Forensic science has paved the way to a new world of technological advancements in solving crime, through DNA analysis, new technology such as M-Vac, improving systems such as CODIS and other investigative methods. As forensic science technology advances, the chance of an individual being able to commit a crime and walk away free without leaving any trace of evidence will lessen. While forensic science has its limitations, it can be the only way to provide an accurate account of what actually occurred at some crime scenes.
Forensics has been greatly enhanced by technology. DNA profiling is one of the technologies that has influenced efficiency and credibility of forensic evidence. The FBI first started using DNA in one of its cases in 1988. In Europe, the United Kingdom opened a DNA database in 1955 (Milena, 2006). The main use of the DNA is to compare the evidence collected at crime scene with the suspects. In addition, it helps to establish a connection between the evidence and the criminals. The investigations have been simplified through the use of technology and DNA has been one of the most effective methods in investigations.
Once a crime has been committed the most important item to recover is any type of evidence left at the scene. If the suspect left any Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at the crime scene, he could then be linked to the crime and eventually charged. A suspect’s DNA can be recovered if the suspect leaves a sample of his or her DNA at the crime scene. However, this method was not always used to track down a suspect. Not too long ago, detectives used to use bite marks, blood stain detection, blood grouping as the primary tool to identify a suspect. DNA can be left or collected from the hair, saliva, blood, mucus, semen, urine, fecal matter, and even the bones. DNA analysis has been the most recent technique employed by the forensic science community to identify a suspect or victim since the use of fingerprinting. Moreover, since the introduction of this new technique it has been a la...
The 20th century was a pivotal time period for psychology. During this time period many sub-disciplines of psychology were created which in essence contributed to the growth and further development of psychology. One of those sub-disciplines of psychology that seems to constantly grow and has gained momentum over the years has been forensic psychology. Although Munsterberg was not the first to suggest that psychology should be applied to the law, instead it was Freud in 1906 during a speech to an Australian judge that there are factors within psychology that should be applied to the law. Although he was the man behind the discovery of forensic psychology and several other sub-disciplines of psychology.
In order to understand how to compile evidence for criminal cases, we must understand the most effective types of evidence. This topic is interesting because there are ample amounts of cases where defendants have gotten off because of the lack of forensic evidence. If we believe forensic evidence is so important and it affects our decisions, then maybe we need to be educated on the reality of forensic evidence. If we can be educated, then we may have a more successful justice system. If we have a more successful justice system than the public could gain more confidence that justice will be served. In order to do this, we must find what type of evidence is most effective, this can be done by examining different types of evidence.
In today’s time, modern Crime Scene Investigation has increased rapidly. From throughout the late 1900’s and in the early 2000’s (Taylor 1). For all of the evidence that they find, a solid foundation has formed over the thousands of years of Crime Scene
Unsolved cold cases such as murder and rapes, allow violent offenders to remain in society. Often times at crime scenes, the offender has deposited some biological evidence within the scene. At all crime scenes, the most reliable evidence tying an offender to the scene is physical evidence, such as biological material, skin, hair, blood and other bodily fluids. This biological evidence left behind by the offender is the key piece of evidence to identify and apprehend an offender. Prior to the advancements in DNA identification technology and databases, cases of murder and rape remained opened and unsolved due to biological evidence was unable to be processed for a DNA profile. In the mid-1980s, DNA testing emerged as a crucial process in determining a genetic profile of biological materials found at crime scenes. The genetic profile could then be compared to known persons to confirm or eliminate the person as an
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.
Forensic evidence can provide just outcomes in criminal matters. However, it is not yet an exact science as it can be flawed. It can be misrepresented through the reliability of the evidence, through nonstandard guidelines, and through public perception. Forensic science can be dangerously faulty without focus on the ‘science’ aspect. It can at times be just matching patterns based on an individual’s interpretations. This can lead to a miscarriage of justice and forever alter a person’s life due to a perceived “grey area” (Merritt C, 2010) resulting in a loss of confidence in the reliability of forensic evidence.
In order to pursue my dream as a Forensic Psychologists I am aware that I have to put in a lot of effort and determination in to school. There are various aspects to pursuing my career such as getting good grades, volunteering in police departments, networking, and doing an immense amount of research on my field. The career I chose requires a lot of my time not only as a student but as an adult. What I mean by this is that from now on, my time is devoted in to acquiring skills and changing my persona in order to be better qualified for the my job. Throughout this road map I will talk about what is a Forensic Psychologist, what are the requirements, skills necessary, what I could do with this degree, the personality types that are best suited for this job, and what are the prospects of moving up.
Forensic science has now been recognized as an important part of the law enforcement team to help solve crimes and cold cases. The advances in technology are being used each day and we must continue to strive to develop better advances in this field. The recent discovery of using DNA in criminal cases has helped not only positively identify the suspect, but it has helped exonerate hundreds of innocent individuals. “With new advances in police technology and computer science, crime scene investigation and forensic science will only become more precise as we head into the future.” (Roufa, 2017) Forensic science and evidence helps law enforcement officials solve crimes through the collection, preservation and analysis of evidence. By having a mobile crime laboratory, the scene gets processed quicker and more efficiently. Forensic science will only grow in the future to be a benefit for the criminal justice
According to the American academy of forensic science, the forensic sciences form a vital part if the entire justice and regulatory system. Forensic science is an enticing career having to do with science and criminal justice, a large variety of schooling is needed to start this job Despite the fact that it can be a dangerous environment it can be an exciting profession to pursue. There are many different fields in forensic science that you can study or major in but they all have the same objectives.
“The word ‘forensics’ means “connected with the courtroom”; so forensic science is, therefore, concerned with gathering hard evidence that can be presented in a trial” (Innes 9). Forensic science is a science that is applied specifically to legal matters, whether criminal or civil. “Few areas in the realm of science are as widespread and important as forensic science” (Hunter 12). Forensics is the one science that is most commonly used in everyday life. It is also a branch of science that incorporates other branches of science such as biology, chemistry, and etc. Since it is used almost every day “No one can dispute the importance of the contributions to society made by forensic science; the ability to solve crime is undeniably important” (Hunter 13). Forensic science has given criminal investigation a new edge. “Advances in science have opened the door for more effective evidence discovery, howev...