History of Forensic Science
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High School Level Science Class Notes Specific to NYS Forensics 2013-2014 By: Sara Zobel History of Forensic Science Forensic Science Application of science to the criminal and civil laws Earliest record of applying forensics to solve criminal cases comes from 3 rd century China American Academy of Forensic Science Criminalistics Engineering Science General Jurisprudence Odontology Pathology/Biology Physical Anthropology Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Questioned Documents Toxicology Applying Scientific Principles to Crime Alphonse Bertillon Developed the first system of personal identification – Bertillon’s System aka anthropometry o A series of body measurements to distinguish one individual from another More Developments In the early 1900s, fingerprints replaced Bertillon’s system Best known figure in 19 th century forensics o Sherlock Holmes Applied the newly developing principles of serology, fingerprinting, firearns identification, and questioned-documents examination Influence Francis Galton (1892) – developed a method for classifying fingerprints Hans Gross (1893) – first described application of science to crime (book) Leone Lattes (1915) – developed blood group testing for dried samples Albert Osborn – applied principles of document examination Edmond Locard – started the first police lab
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These are the notes from my Forensics class. Please see my other class notes!
Transcript of History of Forensic Science
High School Level Science Class Notes Specific to NYS Forensics 2013-2014
By: Sara Zobel
History of Forensic Science
Forensic Science Application of science to the criminal and civil laws
Earliest record of applying forensics to solve criminal cases comes from 3rd century China
American Academy of Forensic Science Criminalistics
Engineering Science
General
Jurisprudence
Odontology
Pathology/Biology
Physical Anthropology
Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Questioned Documents
Toxicology
Applying Scientific Principles to Crime Alphonse Bertillon
Developed the first system of personal identification – Bertillon’s System aka anthropometry
o A series of body measurements to distinguish one individual from another
More Developments In the early 1900s, fingerprints replaced Bertillon’s system
Best known figure in 19th century forensics
o Sherlock Holmes
Applied the newly developing principles of serology, fingerprinting, firearns
identification, and questioned-documents examination
Influence Francis Galton (1892) – developed a method for classifying fingerprints
Hans Gross (1893) – first described application of science to crime (book)
Leone Lattes (1915) – developed blood group testing for dried samples
Albert Osborn – applied principles of document examination
Edmond Locard – started the first police lab
High School Level Science Class Notes Specific to NYS Forensics 2013-2014
By: Sara Zobel
Calvin Goddard – bullet comparisons
Mathieu Orfila (1814) – father of forensic toxicology
Alec Jefferys (1984) – developed 1st OWA profiling test
Locard’s Exchange Principle – When two objects come into contact there’s a cross transfer of
materials.
Crime Laboratories Oldest forensic lab in the US – Los Angeles, created in 1923
FBI has the largest crime lab in the world
Four Major Federal Crime Labs DEA – Drug Enforcement Administration
ATF – Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
USPS – United States Postal Service
Demand for Forensics Major growth since 1960s:
o Increased crime rate
o Requirement to inform suspects of rights which led to a decrease in confessions
o All seized drugs must be documented and analyzed at the lab before trial
o The technology is available (example: DNA Profiling)
Crime Lab Services Basic Services
o Physical Science Unit
o Biology Unit
o Firearms Unit
o Document Examination Unit
o Photography Unit
Optional Services
o Toxicology Unity
o Latent Fingerprint Unit
o Polygraph Unit
o Voiceprint Analysis Unit
o Crime scene Investigation Unite
High School Level Science Class Notes Specific to NYS Forensics 2013-2014
By: Sara Zobel
Functions of a Forensic Scientist Lab work (analyze evidence)
Courtroom testimony (present un court)
Training other people (teach others)
Providing Expert Testimony Expert Witness
o You know more than the average person
o Knowledge may be acquired through experience, training, education, or a combination
o Important: demeanor and ability to explain data and conclusions clearly, concisely, and
logically
