...FORENSICS Forensics, by and large, is the application of science to the legal process. It is an emerging research domain in India. There are many different types of forensic sciences baring their vital presence possibly in every field of human endeavor. Of these, let us now discuss about the computational, cyber and the DNA forensics. COMPUTATIONAL FORENSICS: The development of computational methods or mathematical and software techniques to solve forensic issues is called computational forensics. These methods analyze the evidence beyond human cognitive ability. They scrutinize a large volume of data, which is at any case impossible for a human mind to figure out. In spite of this, we can’t say that these techniques alone would serve our purpose because computational forensics is a field which needs huge collaboration between recognition and reasoning abilities of humans combined with comprehension and analytic abilities of the tool or a machine, which is most of the times, a computer. Computational forensics aids us to model the uncertain. At the crime scenes, we usually get incomplete or broken evidences. These evidences are later on modeled by the computational forensic tool which gives us first clues from its largest biometric database (fingerprints, criminal histories, mug-shots, scar and tattoo, physical characteristics like height, weight, hair and eye color and aliases), which is a collection of significant information regarding the criminals, their criminal history...
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...oday, the word "forensics" has become synonymous with crime and crime scene investigation. Immediately conjuring images of crime labs, ultra violet lights and high-tech computers, popular crimes shows like CSI have brought increased attention to the field of forensic science. They've also generated newfound interest in forensics careers. The term "forensic" comes from the Latin and means, simply, having to do with the law. Hence, any discipline that has any ties to the legal system is, in fact, forensic. This is why so many job titles within criminology, such as forensic psychologist, are preceded by the term. With regard to forensic science, the term is now commonly understood to refer to the application of scientific principles to questions...
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...techniques in forensics increased the succession rate of convicting criminals from the period of 1890-1950? Introduction The birth of forensic science within the use of the police force revolutionised how crime investigations were conducted, via the work of the forensic scientists, or also known as ‘forensic officers’. This work would consist of collecting evidence from a crime scene such as looking for fingerprints on either a suspected murder weapon used by the murder or on a touchable surface which is in the crime scene where the suspect laid their hand on. Furthermore this collectivisation of evidence from the crime scene could mean collecting; foreign fibres (unusual fibres that seem to look like that they do not belong their i.e. due to their different colour, type of fabric or thickness of the fibre.); retrieving bullets and firearms form the crime scene and any possible DNA samples that can be collected in the crime scene such as blood spatter on the walls of a room, where in this case the crime was committed. This evidence would then be sent to be analysed by more forensic scientists in different subdivisions to help led a path to a final suspect, thus leading the police to a quick and successful conviction of a criminal and bring justice to their crimes. Overall this revolution of the police force saw the birth of a new era of fighting crime throughout the whole of the country, as well as throughout the rest of the world. How the evolution of different forensic techniques...
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...ways to catch a criminal? The forensic community plays an important role in helping out with this situation. Forensic scientist help law enforcements get a lead and solve a case. Forensic scientists use different devices like urine testing, DNA testing, DNA markers, and many more devices to help get a lead in a case in order to come to the decision of convicting the right person. Forensics technology has improved greatly over time DNA In most cases the easiest way to catch a criminal is by DNA. With DNA in a criminal case it can put you at the place of crime. There are some flaws with DNA though. There is always the possibility of people having the same DNA strands. And if a piece of hair or any other kind of DNA is found at a crime scene and that is the only evidence and two people have the same DNA strand there’s a possibility of the wrong person going to jail. 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 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 a long time ago, detectives used to use bite marks, blood stain detection, blood grouping as the primary tool to identify a suspect. DNA analysis has been the most recent technique employed by the forensic science community to identify...
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...DNA is a molecule that contains the body’s genetic information. ”DNA typing is also known as DNA profiling and genetic fingerprinting. Forensic investigators use this method to identify the suspects involved in a criminal case(s). “Although 99.9% of human DNA sequences are the same in every person, enough of the DNA is different to distinguish one individual from another.” (Accessexcellence.org) A Mr. Alec Jefferys first documented the DNA typing procedure in 1984 at the University of Leicester in England. Inside ones DNA, we find what is called Short Tandem Repeats (STR). It is known why STR exist, but what is significant is that over 30 percent of human DNA is made up by these STR. “STRs are locations on the chromosome that contain short sequence elements that repeat themselves with in the DNA molecule.”(Saferstein, R pg.397) With Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR technology, DNA research has made leaps and bounds. This method greatly enhances a single piece of DNA and makes thousands of copies of that particular DNA sequence. Another reason PCR is proven beneficial is that it moves shorter strands of DNA that are supposed to be more stable and less subjected to degradation, as oppose to the longer strand that break in bad environment atmospheres. Particularly PCR can enhance the STRs found in individuals blood and can be used to tell the difference between different individuals DNA, thereby proving a person innocent or guilty. In criminal investigations today DNA is used...
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...science and pseudoscience c. explain purpose of paper- fingerprinting gone awry II. Mayfield a. 2004 Madrid Spain bombing b. ACE-V method of fingerprint analysis c. FBI point of comparison d. SNP point of comparison III. Bryan Strong a. a forensic examiner questioning ACE-V method via Brady v. Maryland b. exculpatory evidence IV. Jay Siegel a. percentages of bad print analysis V. PBS special- The Real CSI a. Itiel Dror, Ph.D. cognitive neuroscientist b. his theory and experiment c. results VI. Conclusion a. mention science and pseudoscience b. how to make fingerprinting a true science Did Hollywood cause more problems for the criminal justice system today with the use of forensic science in fingerprint analysis? Is fingerprint analysis a Bona Fide science or Pseudoscience? You decide, let’s take a look into what fingerprint analysis truly is and the outcome of different researches questions and answers. On the hit television series that you see like CSI and NCIS, fingerprint science is a bona fide science where investigators use computers to match a known finger with an unknown fingerprint. This is untrue, forensic science fingerprint examiners match the prints, the computer only searches out possible matches. Science is a systematical knowledge derived from observation, study, and experiments (Lilienfeld & Landfield, p.1216). In other words science deals with phenomena that can be explained. Pseudoscience are fields...
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...Fingerprints Fingerprints have always been a form of identification. This is probably the reason why fingerprints have supplanted most methods of identifying criminals that deny ever being arrested or even committing the crime. Identifying fingerprints has become a science and it also stands out to many other forensic sciences ( www.onin.com). The science of fingerprints, has helped many governments around the world, presenting them with correct discovery of criminals There are millions of people on this planet and never have 2 fingerprints been found that are alike within humans and automated computer comparisons (www.onin.com). No 2 humans have the same finger, palm or footprint. These parts of the human body have ridges that are constantly broken up by endings or forks; these are called characteristics (www.south-wales.police.uk). Every person has unique distributions of the characteristics that build up in womb and throughout life in general, these characteristics stay the same for a time after death too so it makes identifying a body possible People have often tried to alter their fingerprints with different methods like cutting their fingerprints, burning the skin with acid but that doesn’t work because, superficial skin damage is repaired by the body so the same ridges come back with the new skin that forms Fingerprints are formed by our skin and our skin is made out of two layers, dermis and epidermis. The epidermis is a thin layer and it is a protective cover...
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...investigation of four forensic chemists started two days after the homeowner was exterminated inside the tented house. The homeowner Elliot Beckman was found dead in his house. Sara, Grissom, and Greg from the crime lab investigator or the CSI, investigate the cause of death of the homeowner by entering the house of the victim and suspected that exterminators uses sulfuryl fluoride. A gas used as a structural fumigant insecticide to control dry wood termites. It can also be used to control rodents, powder post beetles, bark beetles, and bedbugs. Greg continues to investigate the other room obtaining a blue feather. Later, they found out that the feather was matched to a kind of bird called “Hyacinth Macaw”. They have 4 suspects including the two neighbors, namely Rory Kendell and Zach Alfano and the two fumigators, Ted Martin and Nate Allen. They examine the outside of the tented house by snapping photos of the tent, discovered a trail of sand leading from it and straight to the neighbor’s house. They interviewed Rory Kendell and found out that he haven’t left his place and has been laid up in his house for two days and asked for a urine sample to test if he is affected in the sulfuryl fluoride poisoning. In the laboratory, they found out that the termite fumigant enters the victim bronchioles causing his lungs to fill with fluid. They also noticed the bruise in the victim’s cheek. One of the chemist revealed that several prints of the clamps in the...
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...Criminal Identification Procedures Fingerprint and palm print, Camera and wiretap surveillance Everything in life evolves and takes another form. Crime is no exception it does the same thing as well. Crime is changing in the modern world we live in today and criminals are more sophisticated and intelligent then before. The computer world has brought many technological advancements and even the criminal justice system have benefit from it. One of the most useful gifts that was given to the system was fingerprint and palm print. This advancement brought with it advantages and disadvantages. The effects of these advances on the constitution can be surprising. The advances also effect the efficiency of the criminal justice system from the perspective of crime control. These crucial findings can lead to recommendations concerning the use and reliance on these advances. Fingerprints From the womb to death, one thing that never changes is a person’s fingerprints. Fingerprinting identification in the criminal justice system has been in existence for more than 100 years. Its first use in the United States was in 1902. Because of everyone’s unique fingerprint map or features, no two individuals are alike. On the other hand, a person’s physical characteristics are subject to change over time. Fingerprinting...
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...Evidence suggests that the investigation of crimes occurred as far back as prehistoric times when early man took fingerprints by pressing hands and fingers into clay or rock. In Nova Scotia, archaeologists uncovered an ancient drawing of the detailed ridge patterns of a hand. Additionally, the ancient Babylonians also made use of fingerprinting on clay tablets for business transactions and as a means to preserve identification for other official needs. Forensic science continued to evolve, and in 700 B.C., the Chinese began to record thumb prints on clay sculpture and documents despite having no formal classification system was in place. In 250 B.C., an ancient Greek physician, Erasistratus, created the first lie detector test when he noted that his patients' pulse rate appeared to increase when they lied. In 44 B.C., a Roman doctor examined Julius Caesar's body and discovered that of his 23 stab wounds, only one was fatal. The 1100 A.D., crime scene investigation had improved to such a degree that Roman attorney Quintilian proved that blood-covered palm prints were left at a crime scene to frame a blind man for the murder of his mother. Nearly 150 years later, in 1248 AD, the first documentation of medical knowledge aimed at solving crimes was recorded in the book "Hsi Duan Yu" (the Washing Away of Wrong). It detailed the process of distinguishing drowning from strangulation. Over the next 500 years, advancements in crime scene investigation focused on the many aspects...
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...Forensic science, has made great progress over recent years and scientists can gather an incredible amount of information by examining a corpse. It is such a broad field, and there are so many areas of expertise. As forensic scientists of various diciplines work together, they can produce enough information to give the person a background, a location of death, and last but not least a face. Identifying the victim can sometimes not be as simple as looking at their face and matching them to a description given by a worried relative or loved one. Sometimes there are extraneous forces at work, which make identifying the victim a long and laborious task. The main reasons for difficulty in identifying the victim are massive head trauma, submergence in water for long periods of time, decapitation and disfigurement All of these are of course guesome in their own right and the task of identifying a victim can be made much trickier if any of these issues arise. Normally dental work, blood tests and fingerprinting would go some way in making a positive identification of a corpse but there are other things to take into consideration Criminal examinations of the deceased, natural disasters and those caused by malice are sadly becoming an everyday part of life, making this field more and more prominent in today’s society. When we see this area of work in films and programmes the bodies often have teeth, an external or internal deformity, or something that makes the identification progress...
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...Criminal Identification procedures in the 21 Century CJA 364 Everything in life evolves and takes another form. Crime is no exception it does the same thing as well. Crime is changing in the modern world we live in today and criminals are more sophisticated and intelligent then before. The computer world has brought many technological advancements and even the criminal justice system has benefit from it. One of the most useful gifts that was given to the system was fingerprint and palm print. This advancement brought with it advantages and disadvantages. The effects of these advances on the constitution can be surprising. The advances also effect the efficiency of the criminal justice system from the perspective of crime control. These crucial findings can lead to recommendations concerning the use and reliance on these advances. The act makes it a federal offense to knowingly transfer or use, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law. (Schmalleger, 2010, ch. 9). Advantages and Disadvantages “Fingerprint-based criminal checks can be a valuable...
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...Fingerpriting Kodi Conner CRJ311: Forensics Paul Stein June 24th 2012 Fingerprinting DNA fingerprinting, also called DNA profiling, applies a test to determine the unique DNA sequence that each person has for the purpose of identification. In the 1930s, police detectives found each person has different patterns on the tips of the fingers, and these fingerprints became the standard for identification. However, the finger patterns can be altered by surgery or other means. DNA within living cells is difficult to alter. Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester invented genetic printing in the mid 1980s. The DNA profile is similar to a fingerprint, existing only for that person. Jeffreys coined the term DNA fingerprint and envisioned its powerful use. A single hair, a drop of blood, semen, or other body fluid can reveal the identity of a person. DNA fingerprinting is used for identifying people, studying populations, and forensic investigations. It is in the area of forensics and crime detection that DNA use is the most promising-- as well as the most controversial. The technology of DNA fingerprinting is based on a single assumption that no two people have the same DNA. The 3-billion-base sequence is made of four biochemical blocks or nucleotides: adenine...
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...Miles, a mechanic, at a local restaurant that ended with Miles assaulting him. William is suspected to have driven over to Miles house later that evening, cornering him in the kitchen, and shot him twice in the chest with a revolver.The much larger Miles was able to wrest the gun out of William’s hands. A short struggle ensued, which resulted in William stabbing Miles in the neck with a kitchen knife. Alarmed neighbors called the police at the sound of the shots being fired, and the first patrol car arrived on the scene three minutes later and found Miles dead on his kitchen floor. Initial forensic evidence at the scene found traces of fiber and two used shells and fingerprint on the door frame marked by the victim’s blood. Subsequent examination revealed William’s prints on the murder weapon, a partial print on one of the recovered slug and traces of William’s dead tissue under Miles’ fingers, confirmed through a DNA examination. A neighbor’s...
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...Characteristics of Physical Evidence Types Introduction to Forensics In these next few paragraphs I will list and explain the three fingerprint ridge patterns and what are the three types of fingerprints investigators may find at crime scenes. And I will also describe I.A.F.I.S. include Live scan technology and the procedure Live scan has replaced. Hopefully after reading you will have a better understanding of the topics. Fingerprints are supposed to be the most important proof against any crime as they are unique to each person and cannot be matched with other people. The Crime Information Bureau is an agency of the Division of Law Enforcement Services falling within the jurisdiction of Wisconsin Department of Justice. This department is given the responsibility of up keeping complete and precise identification information about the criminals. The major evidences which are considered important under law are fingerprints, descriptions, photographs and also other personal information which identify the person. When seen under magnifying glass our finger tips reveal ridges and circular patterns on the skin. These patterns or prints are marked before you take birth and are with you for the rest of your life. One of the most important characteristics of these fingerprints is that no two people can have identical fingerprints and hence they are used for identifying a person as evidence. Although the finger prints of every individual are different, they follow certain patterns...
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