Forensics Midterm

Front 1

Forensic Science

Back 1

Science applied to law.

Front 2

How often are eyewitness accounts inaccurate?

Back 2

Over 70% of the time

Front 3

What was the first recorded application of medical knowledge to the solution of crime?

Back 3

1248 Chinese book "His DuanYu" or "The Washing Away of Wrongs."

Front 4

What was used before photography & fingerprinting?

Back 4

The Bertillonage System

Front 5

_____ of the ____________ population has blood type O.

Back 5

40%
Caucasian

Front 6

Individualization

Back 6

1. Fingerprinting
2. Serology
3. DNA

Front 7

Scientific Method

Back 7

The process by which scientists, collectively & over time, endeavor to construct an accurate representation of the world.

Front 8

What does the scientific method attempt to minimize?

Back 8

The influence/bias/prejudice in the experimenter when testing a hypothesis.

Front 9

You can prove a hypothesis.
True or False?

Back 9

False

Front 10

Scientific Project Flow Chart

Back 10

1. Choose your topic
2. Identify a problem
3. Research the problem
4. Develop a hypothesis
5. Design the experiments
6. Test the hypothesis
7. Analyze the results
8. Formulate conclusions

Front 11

Falsification

Back 11

Karl Popper

Front 12

Paradigm Shifts

Back 12

Thomas Kuhn

Front 13

Paradigm

Back 13

A shift in belief or view.

Front 14

Paradigm Shift (Definition)

Back 14

Consensual world view that involved an agreed upon set of assumptions, methods, language (a paradigm) in which science progresses incrementally.

Front 15

Error

Back 15

Specific to scientific measurement.

Front 16

Law

Back 16

Justice within a time limit.

Front 17

Science

Back 17

Truth with no time limit.

Front 18

Match

Back 18

Non-falsifiable

Front 19

Kaufman Recommendation #2

Back 19

"Evidence that shows only that an accused cannot be excluded as the donor of an unknown hair is likely to have sufficient probate value to justify its reception at a criminal trial as circumstantial evidence of guilt."

Front 20

Kaufman Recommendation #5

Back 20

Hair & fibers "clearly articulate for the jury the limitations upon the findings made by the experts."

Front 21

Kaufman Recommendation #7

Back 21

"Reports must contain conclusions drawn from

Front 22

Kaufman Recommendation #11

Back 22

The scientific method means that scientists are to work to vigorously challenge or disprove hypothesis, not prove them.

Front 23

Kaufman Recommendation #74

Back 23

Avoid tunnel vision. Tunnel vision means the single-minded & overly narrow focus on a particular investigative or prosecutorial theory, so as to unreasonably color the evaluation of information received.

Front 24

Confessions

Back 24

1. 22% of DNA exoneration involve a false confession (mental illness/lighter sentence)
2. Many were voluntary

Front 25

Frye Standard

Back 25

"General acceptance"

Front 26

Expert Testimony

Back 26

1. Peer review
2. Error Rates
3. Adequate testing
4. Regular standards & techniques
5. General acceptance

Front 27

Fingerprinting is viewed as a _____ match.

Back 27

100%

Front 28

Steps in DNA Forensic Sampling Process

Back 28

1. Biology
2. Technology

Front 29

Biology

Back 29

DNA Extraction --> DNA Quantification --> PCR Amplification of Multiple STR Markers

Front 30

Technology

Back 30

Separation & Detection

Front 31

mtDNA (Mitochondrial DNA)

Back 31

(1) 25-100 copies per cell
(2) Maternally inherited

Front 32

Sources of Biological Evidence

Back 32

1. Blood
2. Semen
3. Saliva
4. Urine
5. Feces
6. Hair
7. Teeth
8. Bone
9. Tissue

Front 33

CODIS

Back 33

Combined DNA Index System

Front 34

National DNA Data Bank

Back 34

1. The Convinced Offender Index (COI)
2. Crime Scene Index (CSI)

Front 35

Relation of DNA to Biological Material

Back 35

Can identify & individualize it

Front 36

What does DNA identify?

Back 36

1. Species of organisms
2. Micro-organisms

Front 37

What is DNA used in?

Back 37

1. Wildlife Forensic
2. Forensic Entomology
3. Forensic Botany
4. Environmental Science
5. Food Forensics
6. Medical Forensics
7. Bioterrorism

Front 38

Wildlife Forensics

Back 38

1. Native species
2. Domestics
3. Exotics

Front 39

Conservation

Back 39

1. Enforcement of harvesting laws/agreements
2. Pertinence of molecular data to investigations

Front 40

Application

Back 40

1. Species identification
2. Sex identification
3. Individual identification

Front 41

CITES

Back 41

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna

Front 42

Illegal to Trade:

Back 42

1. Tigers
2. Elephants
3. Rhinos
4. Black bears
5. Certain plants

Front 43

Wildlife cases

Back 43

1. Processed meat
2. Antlers
3. Feathers
4. Fish scales & eggs
5. Dried animal parts
6. Gut piles
7. Plant material

Front 44

CSI Effect

Back 44

1. Jurors expect forensic evidence as opposed to relying on good eyewitness testimony.
2. Creates courtroom challenges as people from the general public are the ones who make up the Jurys.
3. Increased popularity of forensics resulting in more money spent on it.

Front 45

Forensic Identification Services

Back 45

1. Photography
2. Video
3. Diagrams
4. Fingerprints
5. Footwear Impressions
6. Exhibit Collection

Front 46

Other Forensic Services

Back 46

1. Forensic Anthropology
2. Physical Matches
3. Tool Marks
4. Bloodstain Analysis

Front 47

Forensic Entomology

Back 47

Application of insect biology to criminal matters.

Front 48

Application

Back 48

1. Time since death
2. Neglect
3. Regions of Trauma
4. Cause of death
5. Drug consumption
6. Location of Death

Front 49

Post Mortem Interval

Back 49

1. Used in cases over 72 hours old
2. Determined using maggot age or succession patterns

Front 50

Arthropod Arrival

Back 50

Stage 1: Necrophagous Species
Stage 2: Omnivores
Stage 3: Predators
Stage 4: Incidentals

Front 51

Problems with PMI

Back 51

1. Temperature
2. Maggot Mass
3. Geography
4. Buried or clothed remains
5. Larval crowding
6. Identification of correct species important to determine correct growth rate

Front 52

Less Traditional Forensic Applications

Back 52

1. Black fly larvae on a submerged car
2. Clothes moths on a ski mask
3. International drug trafficking

Front 53

Errors made in Forensic Science can be a result of what?

Back 53

1. Method
2. Practitioner

Front 54

Error Rates: Spectrographic Voice ID

Back 54

63%

Front 55

Error Rates: Handwriting Errors

Back 55

40%

Front 56

Error Rates: Bite Mark Errors

Back 56

64%

Front 57

Error Rates: Microscopic Hair Comparison Patterns

Back 57

12%

Front 58

Error Rates: Fingerprinting

Back 58

25%

Front 59

Error Rates: Fingerprinting (Mistaken for Twin)

Back 59

20%

Front 60

"Even monkeys fall from trees" OR "Pride comes before a fall"

Back 60

"saru mo ki kara ochiru"

Front 61

Basic Services Provided by Full-Service Crime Laboratories:

Back 61

1. Physical Science Unit
2. Biology Unit
3. Firearms Unit
4. Document Examination Unit
5. Photography Unit

Front 62

Functions of the Forensic Scientist

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1. Analyzing Physical Evidence
2. Providing Expert Testimony
3. Furnishing Training in the Proper Recognition, Collect & Preservation of Physical Evidence

Front 63

Types of Search Patterns

Back 63

1. Line/strip
2. Grid
3. Spiral
4. Wheel/ray
5. Quadrant/zone

Front 64

Vehicle Searches

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1. Blood
2. Tissue
3. Hair
4. Fibers & fabric impressions
5. Paint/broken glass

Front 65

Night Searches

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1. Scene taped off & left undisturbed
2. Guarded until daylight

Front 66

Three methods of crime scene recording:

Back 66

1. Notes
2. Photographs
3. Sketches

Front 67

Notes should include:

Back 67

1. Contact information
2. Personnel information & movements
3. Task assignments
4. Observations of victim & scene
5. Information about evidence before & after processing

Front 68

Crime scene photographs can show:

Back 68

1. Layout of scene
2. Position of evidence
3. Physical relationships of objects

Front 69

Sketching must include:

Back 69

1. Title block
2. Legend
3. Compass
4. Body of sketch

Front 70

Karl Landsteiner

Back 70

Announced typing of blood in 1901.

Front 71

Blood Factors:

Back 71

1. Controlled genetically
2. Highly distinctive feature for personal identification

Front 72

Test for Blood

Back 72

1. Kastle-Meyer test
2. Luminol test
3. Bluestar test
4. Microcrystalline test
5. Precipitin test

Front 73

Testing for Seminal Stains

Back 73

1. Acid phosphatase
2. Microscopic Examination of Semen
3. Prostate

Front 74

Collection of Sexual Assault Evidence: Physical Evidence

Back 74

1. Blood
2. Semen
3. Hairs
4. Fibers

Front 75

Non-motile sperm

Back 75

Can be found from 3-6 days afterwards.

Front 76

Short Tandem Repeats (STR)

Back 76

Most successfully and widely used DNA profiling procedure.

Front 77

When STR is selected for analysis:

Back 77

1. Identify & number of core repeats must be defined
2. Sequence of lases flanking the repeats must be known

Front 78

Sex Identification using STR's:

Back 78

1. Amelogenin gene - Located on both X & Y chromosomes
2. Males show two bands; females have just one
3. Y-STR's - Useful for analyzing blood, saliva or a vaginal swab