Criminalists: An Important Role In Forensic Science

Forensic scientists have an important role during a criminal investigation; they are the ones who analyze biological, chemical, contact trace materials, and physical samples. The samples are taken into evidence to provide proof the police need to make a case in the court. It is the forensic scientist’s job to identify and provide conclusions based on the tests they run on the piece of evidence. Most laboratory examiners who work for the police often find themselves under heavy prosecution bias that impacts their analysis and evidence. Several police departments have been busted for lawlessness, altered lab reports, suppressed test results, and false testimonies on their analyses. Untruthful analyses can lead to crime labs closing and defendants …show more content…
This is why criminalist has an extremely important job in the forensic science field. Criminalist must have investigative skills and practical experience in order to properly do their jobs flawlessly. They must separate major key evidence from the insignificant evidence that has no value to the case. A precise understanding of evidence and test analyses help to identify the situation at the time a crime was committed. There are several methods and processes to analyze when it comes to evidence. Some methods include hair analysis, arson investigation, ballistics testing, DNA testing, fingerprint analysis, bite mark comparison, scent identification, and other forms of pathology. Hair analysis is simply analyzing hair samples under a microscope to see if there is potential for the sample to be a match of the suspect. An arson investigation is essentially arson science when arson investigators use their skills to identify burns, whether it is a burn mark in one room or an entire room exploding in flames. Ballistic testing consists of a chemical composition test to match bullets retrieved at a crime scene. DNA testing is the use of deoxyribonucleic acid that can be hair, blood, or skin cells that is then tested in a forensic laboratory to see if there is a match from the suspect. DNA testing can have a huge margin of error if not done correctly. Fingerprint, bite mark comparison, and scent identification all fall under the …show more content…
There may be faulty results with bite mark comparison because experts say that teeth can change over time and the skin changes the indentation patterns of the teeth. There is no evidence to indicate that the bite marks are even similar and there are no guidelines to agree that there is even a match. Evidence should be from a reliable scientific source, therefore, bite mark comparisons should not be considered as evidence, even if the forensic dentist gives an accurate testimony, it would only be fair to use scientific