NCJ Number
66644
Date Published
1980
Length
240 pages
Annotation
IN THE STUDY OF CRIMINALISTICS, BOTH THE CRIME SCENE AND THE CRIME LABORATORY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED; THIS TEXT BALANCES THE PROCESSING OF THE CRIME SCENE WITH THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CRIME LABORATORY.
Abstract
INTENDED FOR AN INTRODUCTORY COLLEGE COURSE IN CRIMINALISTICS, THE TEXT INTRODUCES THE TRADITIONAL AREAS OF FORENSIC SCIENCE SUCH AS CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY, FIREARMS IDENTIFICATION, AND EVIDENCE GATHERING. FOLLOWING DISCUSSION OF STEP-BY-STEP CRIME SCENE PROCEDURES, SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE REVIEWED, INCLUDING FINGERPRINTING, FIREARMS INVESTIGATION, AND OTHER FORMS OF EVIDENCE SUCH AS BONE FRACTURE PATTERNS AND FOOTPRINTS. ARSON INVESTIGATION IS ALSO DISCUSSED. FINALLY, LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS AND TESTS ARE DESCRIBED. NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS, ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROPHOTOMETRY, AND CHROMATOGRAPHY MAKE UP SOME OF THE TOPICS IN THIS SECTION. THE TEXT EMPHASIZES THE CONSTANCY OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE COMPARED WITH EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY AND THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF PRESENTING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN COURT CASES. EACH CHAPTER CONTAINS A BRIEF INTRODUCTION, LIST OF OBJECTIVES, REVIEW QUESTIONS; AND SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESENTING EVIDENCE IN COURT. DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PROVIDED. A SET OF 21 LABORATORY EXERCISES IS APPENDED. OTHER APPENDIXES CONTAIN A QUICK-REFERENCE GLOSSARY OF TERMS, THE FBI GUIDELINES FOR SHIPPING AND PACKAGING EVIDENCE, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS, JOURNALS, AND PAMPHLETS ON CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND RELATED SUBJECTS. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--AOP)