...Forensic Science in the 21st Century AJS/592 Aug 2012 Forensic Science in the 21st Century Forensic science is regarded as an essential component in the resolution of crimes and law enforcement. Collecting and deciphering evidence properly and preserving crime scenes are two of the most important elements in crime-solving. Consequently, technological advances are relevant to the limited and challenging forensic science field. Also, it is a field wherein technical aptitude is attained only by the amalgamation of various dynamics. For example, supervision, continuing education, proficiency, training, experience, coupled with appreciativeness of scientific protocols and methods proposed against a setting of harsh professional beliefs. This submission delves into forensic science’s contributions to policing and criminal investigations, court processes, and security efforts. Also it explores the media’s representation of forensic science, influence on popular opinion for justice-related issues, and “CSI” effect on the judicial process. Forensic Science Contributions to Policing and Criminal Investigations The geneses of criminalistics or forensic science are mainly European. Forensic science is an amalgamation of various disciplines, such as chemistry, mathematics, geology, physics, and biology to examine physical evidence associated with crime. Previously, the employment of forensic...
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...Forensic Science in the 21st Century By: Crystal Lyle AJS/584 - FORENSIC SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILING STEVEN HOENIG 2-29-16 This paper will examine my perception and concept of forensic science in the 21st century. It will also examine the importance of forensic science to policing criminal investigation court process, and the efforts of various levels in security. In addition to analyzing the importance of forensic science, I will give a historical approach. I will discuss the accuracy of the media representation of forensic science and how issues. Lastly, I will discuss the influence the CSI effect have on the judicial process. Forensic Science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws that are enforced by law enforcement agencies in a criminal justice system. Another definition of forensic science is principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice, especially as it relates to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence. In 1929, a Los Angeles police department establish the first American forensic lab. Forensic science has been around over 300 years or more and it continues to improve and emerge today as science and technical knowledge find more improved and accurate techniques. Forensic science has come to be a critical instrument in allowing guilt or demonstrating innocence in the system of criminal justice. In the late 80’s (DNA), society was accepting of (DNA) and forensic science continues to develop and unfold...
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...Abstract An honorable, honest and reliable criminal justice system is the pillar and support of every prospering society. People essentially rely on their criminal justice system to exonerate a guilty culprit or incarcerate an innocent person. Fuelled by the images of state-of-the-art laboratories and impeccable machines as portrayed in forensic crime dramas, an average person’s faith and trust on forensic evidence is unshakable. In particular, jurors significantly rely on DNA analysis, scientific evidence, and testimonies by forensic experts to help decide the outcome of most criminal cases. Hence, justice and freedom for an individual can depend on the proficiency, reliability and efficiency of a forensic laboratory and their forensic analysts. Investigative or methodological forensic errors either on...
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... What is adversarialism? The adversarial system is the two-sided structure under which criminal trial courts in the UK operate. There are four prominent structural features of the English adversarial system. Firstly, the parties dominate the conduct of proceedings with the judge playing a relatively passive role. Secondly, the parties are free to choose the terrain on which to fight out their legal battles and to select their forensic weapons. Thirdly, Trials are continuous, oral and public events. Fourthly, the imbalance of power between the state and the accused is ameliorated by rules and principles reducing inequality of arms. High level definitions or at least descriptions of the adversarial system abound such as that of Lord Denning in Jones v The National Coal Board.They are all to the effect that the judge is a passive and neutral umpire who cannot descend into the arena for fear of having his or her judgement clouded. The adversarial system is said to be the most efficient means of arriving at approximate truth because it harnesses the power of self-interest on each side to unearth the best evidence. Similarly the best legal arguments are thought to emerge from the clash of advocate’s submission on the law. A classic quotation is that of Lord Eldon in Ex Parte Lloyd that ‘truth is best discovered by powerful statements on both sides of the question.’ This follows from the notion that dispute resolution ‘achieving justice’ is the overriding objective of adversarial...
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...The Importance of Criminalistics and Forensics in Criminal Justice System Olympia Hernandez CJ-312 Criminalistics March 20, 2015 Instructor Jorge Valenzuela Criminalistics and forensic science has grown both in scope and importance to the criminal justice system. There is no question that it has become instrumental in complementing and supporting traditional investigations. However, has it become more important than the traditional methods of investigating such as questioning eyewitnesses, interrogating suspects, and determining information from street informants? According to Mary Bernstein, Forensic science has surfaced as a critical tool in assigning guilt or establishing innocence in the criminal justice system. In...
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...The Evolution of Criminal Justice Technology Rakeisha Hudson Kaplan University Abstract The Evolution the job is exacting. The police are asked to control crime, maintain order, and provide an intricate array of services, from responding to emergency 911 calls to regulating the flow of traffic. On occasion, they must perform remarkable feats of criminal investigation, quell rowdy crowds and violent offenders, and put their lives on the line. Much of the time, police resources are limited. It is estimated that the workload crime imposes on the police has increased fivefold since 1960. Their resources have not kept pace with their workload. To do their job, police frequently have looked to technology for enhancing their effectiveness. The police, with crime laboratories and radio networks, made early use of technology, but most police departments could have been equipped 30 or 40 years ago as well as they are today. The Crime Commission in response to rapidly rising crime rates and urban disorders. The Commission advocated federal government funding for state and local criminal agencies to support their efforts. It called for what soon became the 911 system for fielding emergency calls and recommended that agencies acquire computers to automate their functions. But even with the start-up help of hundreds of millions of dollars in early federal assistance, computerization came slowly. Only in recent years have...
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...Welcome to Homicide Forensic Science is a fundamental component of the justice system. Forensic scientists use scientific techniques and knowledge to assist law enforcement in investigations and solving crimes. They collect and analyze numerous types of evidence, including blood, body fluids; DNA; and human tissue. Forensic scientists assist the decision makers by showing the prosecutor if the issue has merit before it reaches the courtroom thereby reducing the number of cases having to be heard. Their decisions are based on scientific investigations and not circumstantial evidence or unreliable witnesses. Forensic scientists can restore faith in the judicial system with the use of science and technology for facts in criminal and civil investigations. The legal system is established on the belief that the legal process results in justice for all. History of forensic science The history of Forensic science or the applying of scientific principles to legal questions has a lengthy and interesting history. The first recorded autopsy was reported in 44 B.C was on Julius Caesar, where the Roman physician, Antistius proclaimed that he had 23 wounds on his body but only one was fatal. In 1248, a Chinese book entitled “His Duan Yu” (meaning The Washing Away of Wrongs) explaining how to tell apart a drowning from a strangulation. This was also the first recorded use of medicine to assist in solving crimes. In 1590, the first microscope was developed. In 1775, Karl...
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...Forensic Pathology and Miscarriages of Justice: a Journal Article Analysis Merlyn Arostegui Prof. Sigal CRJU 443 | Forensic Pathology and Miscarriages of Justice: a Journal Article Analysis The article chosen for analysis is titled “Forensic Pathology and the Miscarriage of Justice” written by Michael S. Pollanen of the Centre of Forensic Science and Medicine, University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. The article was published in Forensic, Science, Medicine, and Pathology in 2012. The main purpose of the article was to present the fact that in order for the criminal justice system to operate in a safe and fair manner, any evidence presented in the duration of a prosecution must be accurate and objective—especially medical evidence. If either the accuracy or objectivity of evidence presented is compromised, there lies the possibility of unsafe prosecution which can lead to wrongful convictions or other forms of miscarriages of justice. Main Purpose There has been an increased awareness in the number of cases that have experienced a miscarriage of justice due to compromised medical evidence being presented during trial. Although there are legal tools available to regulate the types of evidence admissible in court as well as the “experts” allowed to present said evidence [such as Daubert hearings], these tools are only partially effective because forensic pathology is a discipline that grows and develops over time. The accepted view in pathology [or any field of science...
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...Forensic Science in the 21st Century Gertrude West Forensic Science and Psychological Profiling /CJA590 May 30, 2011 Edward Baker Forensic Science in the 21st Century Forensic science has various influences on crime, investigation and the people that are involved. Forensic science has a connection with the courts to ensure crimes are getting solved and justice is being served to those that commit crimes. With the help of forensic science, crimes are being solved from a human and technological aspect. This paper highlights numerous discussions on how forensic science plays a role in criminal justices system, security, media and the law. Forensic science is a separate entity from the police; although a large portion of the work is obtains through law enforcement. Forensic science is a recognizable component of policing during criminal investigation. The successful resolution from a crime scene involves preventing the site from being contaminated. This helps assures a great deal of gathering and interpreting evidence that could lead to an accurate interpretation of the event. The advances in technology are being applied to forensic science; a field in which technical is achieved by many factors such as including training, experience, continued education, and scientific methodology (NYSP, 2007). Forensic Science continues to develop in the 21st Century. It blends science and technology that has been useful for law enforcement to solve crimes and prosecute...
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...[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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...Forensics History Theresia L. Coates Criminal Justice 1010 Forensics History What does Forensics mean? How old is forensic science? When it was first applied to the law? How has the Forensic science changed the arrest and prosecution success of criminals? The term "forensic" comes from the Latin and means, simply, having to do with the law. How has Forensics evolved from the beginning until today? Let us delve into the history of forensics and its blossoming partnership with the law. Surprisingly, Forensic Science has been around and used in criminal investigations in some manner since before the Roman Empire making it centuries old. It has only been within the last century that law enforcement agencies and the court systems have come to rely so heavily on the use of scientific practices in crime scene investigations.1 The first application of forensic science was by the Roman physician Antistius in the year 44 B.C., whom examined the body of Julius Caesar. He determined even though the dictator was stabbed 23 times, only one wound through his chest caused his actual death. This autopsy is thought to be the first one recorded and the start of using forensic science. Here in the Greek and Roman society extensive knowledge was developed regarding the production, use and symptoms of various poisons, making it possible to identify their use in previously undetected murders. Thanks to these western civilizations advances in the medical field as well as pharmacology were...
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...CRIMINAL JUSTICE What can I do with this degree? AREAS SOCIAL SERVICES Corrections Counseling Juvenile Justice Casework Administration Probations & Parole Victim Advocacy EMPLOYERS State and federal correction facilities County jails Precinct station houses Prison camps Youth correction facilities Medium-security correction facilities Voluntary correction facilities Halfway houses and pre-release programs Reintegration programs Alternative schools Juvenile detention centers Juvenile group homes Women’s and family shelters Domestic violence agencies Immigration and naturalization services Other nonprofit organizations STRATEGIES Seek courses or training in topics such as victimology, social problems, diversity issues, or grieving. Supplement curriculum with courses in psychology, sociology, or social work. Gain experience working with a juvenile population in any capacity (i.e., sports teams, summer camp counselor, parks and recreation programs, and community/religious youth groups). Gain related experience in employment interviewing, social casework, substance abuse, and rehabilitation. Learn to work well with people of diverse backgrounds. Consider learning a second language. Maintain a blemish-free driving and criminal record. Gain firearms and self-defense training. Earn a master’s degree in social work or counseling for therapy positions. Obtain a masters degree in criminal justice or business for upper-level positions in facilities management or administration...
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...1) Which article did you choose? The “CSI effect” | The Economist 2) What is the CSI effect? The CSI effect relates to the American legal system as jurors are susceptible to mistakes, such as wrongfully acquitting guilty defendants, due to inaccuracies in mainstream television crime dramas. Monica Robbers, an American criminologist, defines it as “the phenomenon in which jurors hold unrealistic expectations of forensic evidence and investigation techniques, and have an increased interest in the discipline of forensic science” (The Economist). 3) According to your article, how has the phenomenon affected various groups in the criminal justice system? Various groups within the criminal justice system have been affected by this phenomenon, both in and out of the courtroom. Prosecutors now often need to spend additional time explaining to juries why certain kinds of evidence are not relevant. Mr. Durnal explains that prosecutors have even introduced a “negative evidence”...
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...serology in the criminal justice system. Explain whether or not serology is an evolving science or are blood sample science a “settled” area of investigation and evidentiary law? The term “serology” is commonly used to refer to two things. It is a branch of science that deals with serums, especially bold serums; and the term is also used to refer to serological testing. Serology is used for health care and in criminal investigations. Serology is often defined as the study of blood serum. Blood serum is the clear portion of blood that can be found in a vial if blood is left standing long enough to separate. Serology science is often used for health care purposes (Saferstein, 2011). The major use of serology in the criminal justice system is to analyze the properties and the effect of serums such as blood, semen, saliva, sweat, and fecal matter. Serology is used to determine the type and characteristics of blood, blood testing, bloodstain examination, and preparation of testimony or presentations at trials. Serology is also used to help prosecute criminals. Serology is an evolving science, it is not only used in the criminal justice system, but it is used in the health care system to test for medical conditions such as syphilis, HIV, and viral arthritis. It can also be used to determine blood types (www.nlada.org). Saferstein, R. (2011) Criminalistics: an introduction to forensics science, (10th ed.) Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Forensic Serology retrieved...
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...Subspecialities of Forensic Psychology: Legal Psychology and Correctional Psychology Antonella Zavala MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE CJ240 ABSTRACT Forensic psychology is the science that studies the individuals offender’s behavior. Forensic Science has other sciences that coordinates its goal such as Legal Psychology which will decide whether an offender is on conditions to go or not to court and correctional psychology that will follow the behavior and rehab on an offender Introduction In the show Criminal Minds on A&E, they show a dramatize version of what very few talented people do daily. Although, it is not what really happens it gives people a light overview on something that is more realistic and detailed. Solving a case, analyzing an offender takes time and a lot of research on the individual. However, their job does not finish when they catch the bad guy because that is just the beginning of a long work on rehabilitation to prevent by analyzing the motive of every offender and been able to prevent more crimes of occurring. Legal and Correctional Psychology follows the behavior of the offender during their time inside and outside the correctional with the only purpose to understand what lead them to offense in order to prevent more murders, suicide , child abuse and so on. In America, Forensic Psychology plays an important role in the Criminal Justice System, with special focus in Legal and Correctional Psychology. In the last 30 years Forensic Psychology has...
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