The roots of forensic lead to the Roman era when criminal charges implied public presentation of the case in the Forum. Convicted person for a criminal offense and the applicant, argued publicly about the case, and the person with better arguments and presentation, prevails. Hence the origin of the name forensics, from the Latin word forēnsis which means “in the Forum”. Today, forensic means using full range of science to provide answers to questions of legal interest, relating to criminal or…
The misuse of forensic science and the problems associated with it. How some forensic discipline cannot provide accurate results, the example of a bite or the identification of shoe treads in the citing of evidence is most compelling where the identification and analysis are very unreliable. Besides, the testimonies that amplify the relationship between the evidence and the crime scene and the evidence obtained from an individual that portrays that the suspect is the source of evidence. The most…
Edmond Locard is a Frenchman who was the most important important contributor in forensic science. While studying medicine he developed an interest in law. During the First World War, Locard worked as a medical examiner with the French secret service in attempt to identify the cause and location of the soldier's death by examining the stains and damages of their uniforms. Later on, he finally convinced the Lyons Police Department to give him two attic rooms where he conducted research and…
A vital tenet of forensic science is the exchange principle first proposed by Edmund Locard, which can be generally understood as the phrase “with contact between two items, there will be an exchange.” Every time there is a contact between individuals, environs and articles, there is an exchange of physical evidence, however small it may be. This aspect plays an indispensable role in crime scene investigations as it enables the detectives to establish links between the crime scenes, victims and…
As a forensic lab technician it is your responsibility to collect and analyze evidence collected at the crime scene, they spend most of their time in a laboratory. These are the folks that are called in after the first responders reach the scene. Forensic lab technicians work for either the county, city, and state police but they can also work for government agencies or privately owned laboratories. There are many different things a lab technician can do, all depending on their skill set, level…
Through the silent film Buster Keaton Sherlock Jr.(1924) the filmmaker managed to portray Sherlock Jr's vaudevillist roots by imposing a deadpanning persona centered on burlesque comedy. The protagonist Sherlock Jr did not show any emotional reactions instead he performed actions that would alter laughter to the viewers. These actions would be out of innocence, and his unawareness would result in laughter. For instance, when Sherlock Jr. imitated every movement the culprit of the watch did in…
I have always had an interest in science, from the start when I was first introduced to the subject during the start of primary school. It instantly became the subject I liked the most. But what drew my interest to forensic science was reading my first crime fiction novel by the author James Patterson and also a module I studied in high school in year 7 called CSI. From then on my curiosity and interest only grew so I started to watch crime fiction programmes and documentaries like Forensic…
the Baskervilles written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Watson, Marvin and Fayne both contribute a different point of view to Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew, respectively, to observations about a mystery. Without Watson's assistance Holmes would not have been able to solve the mystery of the hound. Watson is Holmes's eyes and ears throughout the novel. Watson and Holmes are making predictions about the…
“I presume nothing.” These are the words that Mr. Sherlock Holmes spoke when solving the puzzling case of the Hound of Baskervilles. However, I presume that the movie is much better than the book in this case because when acted out, the movie is easier to understand and is more realistic. (Quote found on page 195 of The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.) First, I mentioned that the movie was easier than the book to understand. In a movie, there are actors who show the plot and…
An imperative aspect in any criminal investigation is obtaining and identifying fingerprints as they are considered one of the most valuable pieces of biological evidence. Fingerprinting is a form of biometrics, which is a science that uses the physical characteristics of individuals in order to identify them (Watson, 2014). Ultimately, fingerprints consist of an arrangement of creases known as fraction ridges and they essentially comprise of pores. These pores are attached to the skins sweat or…