...[The Criminal Justice System & how forensics plays its part] | | Criminal justice is the system of catching, prosecuting (charging), and sentencing a criminal based on their criminal doing. Within this system there are many areas that work close to bring criminals to justice, but one specific area places a bigger role. That role would be of a forensics examiner also known as a forensic science technician but mainly recognized as a crime scene investigator. Their job is to analyze physical evidence and provide scientific conclusions for the justice system. According to Education-Portal.com (2003-2012) they provide analytical assistance and expert opinions used during law enforcement investigations, criminal court cases, civilian court cases and regulatory proceedings. Ever since my junior year in high school I have been very interested in what crime scene investigators do. Inspired by the forensics class I took I learned that although their job takes a lot of patience and thinking, it would seem like the perfect job for me. Not knowing everything about this area, entering college allowed me to broaden my horizons. My major was Forensic Science but is now and remains Criminal Justice as I decided to branch out with a minor in Computer Forensics. Continuing to get more familiar with my minor I learned that within forensics there are technicians that work specifically with guns. This area is called ballistics; the scientific study of the characteristics of projectiles, such...
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...Alexander, Armond Criminal Investigations 12 November 2011 American Intercontinental University There are many laws that are put in place to help criminal investigators. The laws are put in place to give the criminal investigators a better chance on solving the crime, be effective and deterrence of future crimes. Aberjhani said, “Many may very well continue to ask why more value is placed on technicalities of a law than on a man’s flesh and blood life, especially when there is any amount of “doubt” at all regarding his guilt or innocence.” The value is put on technicalities to unsure that the truth is said and justice is indeed done. There never needs to be a mistake when it comes to justice and the law. Laws are made to help criminal investigators solve the crime and ensure the guilty is caught and punished. The development of new laws causes the criminal investigators responsibilities to change quite often. The new laws can affect the criminal investigators because if they don’t process the case correctly the person that is guilty may walk away free and without being punished to the full strength of the law. A good example is the law stating that a person has to give there confession on video camera in the state of Connecticut. The confession must be recorded on more serious crimes. This means that by law that if the confession is not recorded electronically or digitally that the case may not stick on the person. A guilty individual may squeeze through...
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...Casey Anthony Case Dixit and Gothwal (2015) define criminal law as a rule that control the social conduct and prohibits the acts that are harmful to the people and as such, threatening the safety and the welfare of societal members. Morse (2015) contends that criminal laws define the punishment levelled on the people who break the prescribed societal conduct while Holland (2015) asserts that criminal laws refer to the state laws, which make certain actions illegal and punishable by fines or imprisonment. Accordingly, the case of Casey Anthony falls under the criminal and as such, the forensic evidence gathered from the trunk of her car makes her criminally reliable, as the said evidence is admissible in the court of law. The forensic experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) examined a band of hair recovered from her vehicle, which exposed evidence of apparent decomposition. Forensic analysis of the recovered band of hair showed consistence with the band of hair of the deceased. The FBI experts who conducted forensic analysis on the band of hair told the court that the sample had many consistencies in relation to the post-mortem banding. Moreover, microscopic hair examination specialist told the jurors that the root portion of the air was dark and, therefore, consistent with the evidence presented by the FBI. The analyzed evidence showed that the hair was evicted forcibly from the deceased. Further, an investigator of the crime scene testified that that there...
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...Case Study-Criminology Name Institution Date Introduction There are procedures that aid criminal investigators in their investigation. The procedures allow the investigators to solve the crime efficiently as well as deterring future crimes. Present day crimes just as human nature are complex. The extent of sophistication of how crimes remains committed and the challenges associated with criminal laws have placed a significant burden, on people choosing a career in criminal investigation and prosecution of criminals, within the system of criminal justice. Most concerns while conducting a criminal investigation has always been on the legality of when and how to conduct the exercise. Physical evidence collection, witness interviewing and assorted surveillance used in the investigation, all fall under a keenly watched category in the investigative process, not all investigations ends correctly; however, the ultimate goal of an investigative process depends on the process undertaken. For this reason, investigative process should follow a predefined pattern. This calls for frequent simulation exercise undertaken by investigators to keep them in check with the predefined patterns of investigation. This paper seeks to give responses to some of the questions posed in a simulation exercise aimed at standardizing a criminal investigation involving multiple explosions traversing two states. Investigative task force Assuming that legal authority was not an issue, should this investigation...
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...STAGE! 1 THE BIG STAGE! By: Heather Vanwarmer CRJ320: Criminal Investigation Instructor: James Phyne March 18, 2016 THE BIG STAGE! 2 The final report is very important for the prosecution. The reason is that the prosecutors need to make sure that all the evidence presented is correct and make sure that all witnesses have been interviewed properly. The prosecutors will call the witnesses back to interview them to make sure that there was nothing missing from the last time the police talked to them. Sometimes witnesses will leave something out and then recall it later. The prosecution has to make sure that everything has been covered so they can make a case in court. The prosecution needs to look over the report to make sure that all the information is correct before the present it to the courts for a case. They have to make sure that they examine all the case diaries, statements of important witnesses as well as material documents or articles. They also have to make sure that the investigating officer has done the crime scene correctly. Because, if the final report is not complete it will result in a fraud. This means that if the final report is not done correctly then all the important information is left out of the report. That is why the final report needs to be important so that there is no fraud when presented to the courts to see if they have a case or not. A well written report will have who, what, where, when, why...
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...Disproportionate Minority Contact in Juvenile Justice System Statement of the Problem or Objective Youth of color have been overrepresented in the American juvenile justice system. Youth of color are more often arrested, court referred, placed in lock facilities, and transferred to adult criminal courts. Analysts attribute the unique age- and race-specific crime pattern to the confluence of broader structural changes including the deindustrialization of cities, the racial concentration of poverty and single-parent households, and the inner-city crack cocaine epidemic. In turn, media depictions of gang and gun violence by minorities—‘‘if it bleeds, it leads’’—fanned public fears and provided political impetus to ‘‘criminalize’’ more youths and punish them as criminals and to adopt more-punitive juvenile justice policies. Despite the lack of standardization in data collection and analysis, 32 of the state jurisdictions studied reported that race=ethnicity effects existed independent of criminal record offense involvement, whereas 12 states attributed DMC solely to legal factors. The proposed study contribute to our understanding of crime and policy response to crime. Youth of color make up 78% of those in the juvenile justice system. Literature Review & Theoretical Perspective Mallett and Stoddard Stated that African American youths are 6 times more likely than white youths to experience facility placement. Vazsonyi and Chen stated that even though there are a lower...
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...Forensic Pathology: The Art of Human Dissection Sean J. Ainsworth University of Maryland University College Forensic Pathology: The Art of Human Dissection Criminal investigators gather information, evidence and intelligence regarding criminal offenses to accurately provide justice. With this in mind, what happens when factors are present outside their control? For example, a deceased body is discovered with absolutely no evidence or investigative leads. This is a task not for the criminal investigator, but for a Forensic Pathologist. Forensic Pathology is the study, dissection and examination of deceased bodies; furthermore, is arguably the most challenging and difficult occupation within criminal investigations. Forensic Pathologist are the last line of support when determining cause of death, with this in mind, extensive training, education and experience is required to fulfill the most gut-wrenching unattractive occupation. By definition, Forensic Pathology is the determination of the cause of death by examining a corpse. With this in mind, Forensic Pathologist dissect corpses, examine, remove and obtain samples of organs to determine how that individual died. Also, Forensic Pathologists expose photographs of the deceased body, obtain fingerprints, weigh each organ and document such findings in an investigation of their own. Forensic Pathologist even go as far as determining how close the individual was shot, the position of the weapon, direction the bullets entered...
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...Assignment #3 Reginald Smith March 2, 2013 Criminal Investigation Dr. Levin Introduction This proposal was selected to analyze profiling psychologically, geographically, and racially. Profiling has its benefits and problem just like any other perceptional judgment. Society tends to be inclined to profiling due to cognitive learning, but "profiling was originally intended to help drug couriers attempting to enter the country." (Schmalleger, 2004) U.S Customs Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration developed personal indicators that perceived an increased likelihood of a violation of law. Then in the late 1900's racial profiling received national recognition. Racial profiling referred to "Driving While Black." (Schmalleger, 2004) Literature review Advantages and Disadvantages Psychological "We understand today that it is a cruel and ignorance practice to torture men and women whose mental disturbance expresses itself in the form of religious or other eccentricities, but we are still too deep in the darkness to realize that the same true of those whose quirks show themselves in criminality." (Howe, 2012) One form of profiling is the psychological process of criminals. Usually, if investigators think like criminals he or she will caught a law violator. Psychologically profiling suspected criminals is an effective benefit for criminologist; unfortunately, using psychological profiling can't provide solid evidence. During the 1950's psychological...
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...Robin B. Arslanian Professor Long English 122 12 October 2011 How to Succeed in Becoming a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) The career as a Crime Scene Investigator, better known as CSI, can be very rewarding. To help catch the “bad guys”, to me, can be very satisfying. My goal is by the end of this paper you will learn how to become a CSI, the first steps to take once you get to a crime scene, what to expect in the courtroom and hopefully how much fun a career as a CSI can be. Being a CSI is definitely not for the faint at heart, some crime scenes can be gruesome. If you think being a CSI is like you watch on television you are sadly mistaken. Television glamorizes the long hours it takes to get DNA results or fingerprint identification. These types of results can take days to weeks. This can be very frustrating to the investigator who is being pressured by the prosecutors, the lead detective on the case and by the families for information. How you analyze the crime scene and what you find out in the lab can mean the difference between a conviction and an acquittal. Your education is the most important quality and resource you can have in any career. However, for a CSI it is of utmost importance. You will need at the very least an Associate’s degree in either Criminal Justice with a forensics background, or better yet a Bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science. It is suggested that if you have a Bachelor’s degree you should go for your Masters; it will make you a...
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...Offender profiling is an analytical, investigative tool used by investigators to try and determine the characteristics of an offender by examining all available information of a particular offense (Ainsworth, 2001). The aim is not to identify the offender committing the serious crime; the primary purpose is to establish the type of person likely to have committed the offense. John Douglas argues that you need to “think exactly as the criminal does” in order to understand potentially who could be behind these crimes (Douglas and Olshaker, 1995 p, 151). It can be an effective way in order to capture the perpetrator primarily before they strike again and to gain justice and reassurance for victims. It helps to eliminate a huge swath of the population narrowing down police searches of potential perpetrators. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the strengths and weaknesses in relation to both the UK and US approach to criminal profiling and how effective their methods are in practise. Both approaches are not that different with the techniques used but they differ in terms of the rigorous empirical techniques used by profilers in the UK. I will make reference to infamous case studies to help demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of using...
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...Detective I have always loved mysteries and solving them, so naturally, I would want to become a detective or criminal investigator, a job that is about solving mysteries. Before, I did not know for sure that I wanted to be a detective, but a single piece of fiction from Stephen King named “Mr. Mercedes” set it in stone that being a detective is what I want to be. I want to understand the specific pathway to reach the career I want and the specifics on what the job entails through this research paper. Early on in America’s history, detectives did not exist. This is because the colonists would have been suspicious that the government was spying on them, which could cause trouble. Therefore, if someone wanted justice for a crime, they...
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...in order to aid both the police and investigators in identifying a culprit (Wells et al., 1998; Thorley, 2013). Eyewitnesses are important since they provide unique insights by adding their personal recall of these past experiences. Since, these individuals witnessed the crime first hand they are considered to be suitable candidates to provide accurate and detailed descriptions of the perpetrator. It is imperative that the information provided is correct in order to identify the culprit. Otherwise, an innocent individual could be wrongly prosecuted. Now considering that an eyewitness is providing evidence based on their personal experiences,...
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...a vital part of the criminal investigations process which has contributions from many areas of this component. In this case study there will be points expressed on the crime scene search, principles, crime scene photography, sketching the crime scene, fingerprint evidence, trace evidence, and biological evidence. Investigators have the responsibility to comprehend these segments in order to effectively manage and maintain a crime scene. The crime scene investigation consists of elements of criminal law, criminal procedure, and constitutional evidence. The search part of the crime scene involves a related focus which is in legal requirements. It is crucial to incorporate the Fourth Amendment in the crime scene search process which implicates the search and seizure warrant rule. Many investigators and officers are unaware of the absence of generally recognized exceptions to the search and seizure warrant rule, law enforcement officers must obtain a warrant to search a crime scene where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists. (Geberth, 2003). The procedures behind crime scene searches consist of isolating, securing, search, and document the scene, as well as obtaining physical evidence which is the physical objects linked to the order of a crime such as hairs, paint chips, fibers, and bullets. Records which are basically keeping accumulated general descriptive data of the crime scene, and witnesses. In isolating and securing the crime scene an investigator should put up tape...
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...murderer, rapist, and other kinds of criminals are never know by anyone except the ones closest to them. Although often times we are never able to decipher exactly what the reasoning and thought process behind the murderer’s, rapist’s, thieves and most other criminal activities, we can get a universal idea of what was going on in these criminals minds based off of criminal psychology. Criminal psychology helps all of us primarily detectives and police units get as best of an understanding as we can to try and out ourselves in the criminals shoe’s, and therefore attempt to find that escaped criminal. So with this research paper there...
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...Presently all types of crimes are happening all of the time. With crime comes the need for punishment. Modern punishments for offenses in our country include things as minor as community service hours or as severe as the death penalty depending on the crime. The people who enforce these punishments make up the criminal justice system. Three of the main parts of the criminal justice system are law enforcement, the courts and prisons. Law enforcement includes jobs such as sheriffs and patrol officers.The court system offers careers in law. Correctional facilities and prisons include jobs such as counseling and correctional officers. There are many jobs involved in law enforcement. The sheriff, the highest-ranking officer in law enforcement, oversees the entire department. The sheriff is an elected office that is voted on by the citizens of the county. Once elected a sheriff holds a four year term. After the four-year term a sheriff can be reelected an unlimited amount of times. The sheriff has several duties both in his office and outdoors. These duties include uniformed patrol, crime prevention, and criminal investigations. The sheriff also has some of the duties of a patrol officer such as apprehending violators of the law and assisting in prosecutions. Two basic requirements of a sheriff are that you must be a United States citizen and you must not have any prior felony convictions. In Washington State the average...
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