...science to policing criminal investigation court process, and the efforts of various levels in security. In addition to analyzing the importance of forensic science, I will give a historical approach. I will discuss the accuracy of the media representation of forensic science and how issues. Lastly, I will discuss the influence the CSI effect have on the judicial process. Forensic Science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws that are enforced by law enforcement agencies in a criminal justice system. Another definition of forensic science is principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice, especially as it relates to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence. In 1929, a Los Angeles police department establish the first American forensic lab. Forensic science has been around over 300 years or more and it continues to improve and emerge today as science and technical knowledge find more improved and accurate techniques. Forensic science has come to be a critical instrument in allowing guilt or demonstrating innocence in the system of criminal justice. In the late 80’s (DNA), society was accepting of (DNA) and forensic science continues to develop and unfold Technology in this fast pace world. Forensic science has been through many changes because of the maturity of the Science labs and its accurate findings. Forensic science is very important because it helps in solving crimes and exonerating people of crimes they did not commit. They...
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...Crime Scene Investigator Do you ever wonder why people choose to work as a crime scene investigator also known as CSI? I am not sure why people choose to work in this field but, I do know why I decided on this career. This is my career of choice because the job itself is very interesting and inspiring to me. This strong passion that I have for figuring out crimes and causes of death will fit perfect for this job. My mother reminds me all the time that when I was a little girl, I always wanted to know how and why people got killed. Now as a grown up I want to finally be able to figure out how or why people die. I want to put my critical thinking skills, knowledge and medical background to good use. After researching about this career, I made it clear to myself that it is not going to be easy but I will fulfil my dream. Just this thought of knowing that I will be making a difference gives me the strength to continue. If you are interested in this career like me, make sure that you know the following. The easiest way for becoming a crime scene investigator is to become involved with law enforcement. In some cases some police departments hire civilian crime scene investigators, but most are looking for investigators with a police background. In order to be qualified to get a job you need at least a two year associate's degree. However, there are many police departments that require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree. There are a lot of colleges that offer majors...
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...Reality and fiction have begun to blur with crime magazine television shows such as 48 Hours Mystery and American Justice. These programs portray actual cases, but only after extreme and lengthy editing of the content and incorporating a narration voice over for dramatic effect. Other shows that are even more popular that are helping the media to blur the fine line between reality and fiction, even further, are the forensic dramas like: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cold Case and Bones. These shows however, are not reality and create what is commonly known as “the CSI effect” and in my opinion have caused jurors to wrongly acquit guilty offenders when no scientific evidence has been presented to the jury by the prosecutors. The CSI effect is a phenomenon brought about by popular television shows such as: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cold Case and Bones. and other forensic shows that are raising crime victims' and jury members' real-world expectations of the field of forensic science and type of forensic evidence that is presented by the prosecution. Much of these concerns come from the writers of forensic science television glamorizing the field, overstating the accuracy of forensic techniques, and exaggerating the abilities of forensic science. The CSI effect seems to skew public perceptions of real-world forensic science, as well as the behavior of criminal justice system actors; this is of particular concern in the courtroom setting, where many prosecutors feel...
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...Crime Scene Investigation John J. Camacho University of Maryland University College Imagine if solving crimes were done in an hour. In twenty four hours evidence is collected and processed and all suspects are investigated and dealt with as deemed necessary. There is a reason why things like this only happen on television, because this is very unrealistic. There are so many T.V. shows that glamorize this possibility; one of those shows is CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. This show is so popular that there are a few different versions; one set in Las Vegas, New York, and Miami. The show is based on crimes, usually murder, that is solved by the criminal investigation unit of the police department. Their jobs are to collect evidence from the crime scenes to help solve the crime. Because this is television all the crimes are solved within an hour and it does not go through the realistically long and tedious process of gathering and processing evidence. Season five episode twenty-one of CSI: Miami involves the murder of three people; a female personal trainer, a male who bought a car from a rich couple, and a lawyer. All three of the victims are tied to the rich couple who are in the process of getting a divorce, I will name them Mr. and Mrs. Smith. First the personal trainer was found in the home of the couple. The man who bought the car was found in a parking lot near his car. The lawyer was found in his office. The personal trainer was bludgeoned to death by a blunt object...
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...Topics Crime Scene Investigator In: Other Topics Crime Scene Investigator Crime scene investigation is the meeting point between science, logic and law. Processing a crime scene is and long and tedious process and is the job of crime scene investigators (CSI). CSI has the responsibilities of collecting, documenting, preserving, reconstructing and presenting evidence. It is their job to examine any physical evidence that could remotely shed any light on what happened and who is responsible. There are no typical crime scenes, evidence or investigative approaches and every crime scene should be approached in a systematic sense. According to Robert R. Ogle Jr., a crime scene search is defined as a systematic, methodical search for any physical evidence at a crime scene. Before the job of CSI can begin, there has to be a crime committed. For instance, CSI are on call for murder scene investigations to collect and examine evidence. When CSI is contacted, their job begins. Evidence is a major part in any investigation. Without evidence, a case can grow cold quick. Anything can be evidence and when in a crime scene, everything should be treated as such. Evidence has many different categories: trace, firearm, impression, drug and alcohol, document, and biological fluids. All of these categories of evidence play an important part in finding out valuable information towards solving a case. The most important aspect of evidence collection and preservation is protecting the crime scene...
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...STUDENT NUMBER 2014OSC58443 Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Level 3 STUDENT NUMBER 2014OSC58443 Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Level 3 COURSE CODE – OSC532(V1.0) COURSE CODE – OSC532(V1.0) UNIT 5 – EVIDENCE HANDLING zoe wRIGHT UNIT 5 – EVIDENCE HANDLING zoe wRIGHT 2015 2015 Introduction This unit will be discussing the various packaging techniques in handling evidence taken away from crime scenes with the most appropriate ones being considered for each type of evidence found. It will be discussed having the implications of poor packaging and the results which lead to contamination of all evidence if not packaged properly and the outcome when it is taken to court also the reliability of the CSI’s involved. It is also the job of the CSI to make sure all health and safety procedures are in place before handling and taking any piece of evidence as there are varying risks involved like sharps, contamination of evidence, weather conditions other witnesses interfering with the scene, other personnel and any form of biological hazards. These must be taken seriously and analysed before any search. Unit 5 1. Detail the forensic evidence that would have been taken away from the scene by the perpetrator. The crime scene is probably the most important part of any criminal investigation. It is where forensic science starts. Locard’s Principle states that...
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...CSI Episode Analysis Draft “Take the Money and Run” Tiffany Silverio CCJS101 Prof. Dobres CSI Episode Analysis Draft The CSI Episode being is discussed is“Take the Monday and Run”. It was about a murder and robbery that took place in a casino during a poker game, that had more than thousands of dollars in chips on the table for play. (“Take The Money And Run”) A synopsis of the episode involved a casino being robbed after a major win when the lights went out. The suspected robber was seen fleeing the scene on his motorcycle and was shot by officers and unexpectedly died. When the CSI Investigators arrived to identify the person they realized there was no blood present and the other investigator asks where the money is, it was determined that it was fake money and fake chips. A doctor determined that the presumed robber, who was shot by officers, died of an allergic reaction to some type of chemical that was injected into his body. When investigators watched the security tapes it shows there was another suspect dressed the same type of clothing as the guy on the motorcycle. The CSI team determined that the guy on the motorcycle was a fake and the person they are really looking for is still on the loose based on the evidence noted.“The medical examiner stated that the guy on the motorcycles’ “face was extremely swollen and the money they found was on him was counterfeit.”(Zuiker, A.) While an autopsy was being done on the motorcycle victim, the examiner seems to think...
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...11/12/2014 Crime Scene Investigator Have you ever wonder why people choose to work as a crime scene investigator? I do not know why people chose to work in this field but I know why I choose this career. I choose crime scene investigation as my career because when I was a little girl my dream was to figure out why and how people died. I enjoy watching crime scene investigation shows on television, elusively the ones involving elderlies and children. One of my favorite crime scene investigation shows is called 48 hours on A&E. This show inspires me to have the wanting to help those who are in need of help. I am aware that in most cases, I will experience death at a crime scenes but I am prepared for the duties in this job. This is not an easy career to accomplish but is well worth it for those who enjoy this field. The easiest way for becoming a crime scene investigator is to become involved with law enforcement. In some cases some police departments do hire civilian crime scene investigators, but most are looking for investigators with a police background. In order to be qualified to get a job you need at least an associate's degree. However there are many police departments that require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree. There are a lot of colleges that offer majors for crime scene investigations including criminal justice, criminology, and forensics. This career requires a valid driver's license and a valid license to carry a weapon. Like any...
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...descriptive analysis of an episode of Crime Scene Investigations (C.S.I.). The intent is to show what is provided by the television series of what happens in a crime and what is supposed to happen during a crime scene investigation. The reader should be able to understand during this analysis to what in fact is non-realistic in this television episode and what is reality as determined by what has been researched. This will show what really happens in a crime scene investigations lab. The episode chosen for this review was CSI: Miami, The Golden Parachute. The episode begins with an aircraft taking important people to testify in front of the Security Exchange Commission. The aircraft began to have issues after takeoff and crash landed in the Florida Everglades. Fishermen were located in and around the everglades and witnessed the crash, they were consumed by what just happened and alerted 911. This prompted Horatio and his crime scene investigative team to begin work. There were eight total passengers on board including the pilots. They immediately identified bodies in the water and determined that this was a leve1 two biohazard. There were bodies thrown from the aircraft in the same area and they also found a body five miles down the everglades. The investigations continued throughout. There were things noticed that was clearly polished, questionable and what seemed to be real as part of an investigation. The crime scene investigators also acted as crime lab technicians and police officers...
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...an essential component in the resolution of crimes and law enforcement. Collecting and deciphering evidence properly and preserving crime scenes are two of the most important elements in crime-solving. Consequently, technological advances are relevant to the limited and challenging forensic science field. Also, it is a field wherein technical aptitude is attained only by the amalgamation of various dynamics. For example, supervision, continuing education, proficiency, training, experience, coupled with appreciativeness of scientific protocols and methods proposed against a setting of harsh professional beliefs. This submission delves into forensic science’s contributions to policing and criminal investigations, court processes, and security efforts. Also it explores the media’s representation of forensic science, influence on popular opinion for justice-related issues, and “CSI” effect on the judicial process. Forensic Science Contributions to Policing and Criminal Investigations The geneses of criminalistics or forensic science are mainly European. Forensic science is an amalgamation of various disciplines, such as chemistry, mathematics, geology, physics, and biology to examine physical evidence associated with crime. Previously, the employment of forensic science methods was focused mainly on severe crimes like homicide and rape. However, forensic methods are being positioned throughout a broader spectrum of crime groupings. Additionally, it is routinely being...
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...Forensic Science in the 21st Century Forensic science has various influences on crime, investigation and the people that are involved. Forensic science has a connection with the courts to ensure crimes are getting solved and justice is being served to those that commit crimes. With the help of forensic science, crimes are being solved from a human and technological aspect. This paper highlights numerous discussions on how forensic science plays a role in criminal justices system, security, media and the law. Forensic science is a separate entity from the police; although a large portion of the work is obtains through law enforcement. Forensic science is a recognizable component of policing during criminal investigation. The successful resolution from a crime scene involves preventing the site from being contaminated. This helps assures a great deal of gathering and interpreting evidence that could lead to an accurate interpretation of the event. The advances in technology are being applied to forensic science; a field in which technical is achieved by many factors such as including training, experience, continued education, and scientific methodology (NYSP, 2007). Forensic Science continues to develop in the 21st Century. It blends science and technology that has been useful for law enforcement to solve crimes and prosecute criminals. Forensic sciences in criminal investigations include but are not limited to: bioscience, trace evidence, toxicology, photography...
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...investigators solve our everyday mysteries when it comes to crimes? In addition, what forensic aspects in the video “Welcome to Homicide” were used to finally get a confession of murder? This paper will discuss these topics and elaborate on some of the key evidence that was used to close this particular case. First, let’s begin with where and when forensics is aid to have gotten its start. The basic sciences began to develop in the late 18th century, and many of the early developments in forensic sciences took place during the 19th century (Gaensslen & Larsen, 2013). People long ago did not have technological and scientific advancements that we take for granted in the forensic sciences today. Instead, they mostly relied on forced confessions and testimonies of witnesses. This, naturally, allowed for many criminals to walk free while a lot of innocents were wrongfully convicted. The first known instance of forensics being used was in the year 1248. A Chinese man, called a death investigator, used experimentation to determine that a victim's fatal blow had resulted from the strike of a sickle (Dirkmaat, 2012). What we think of today as forensic science may have been born in China, but truly developed in Europe during the 1700's. German medical experts, Swedish chemists, and Italian surgeons wrote books, developed theorems, and practiced routines that would eventually mature and grow into the crime scene investigation techniques that we know about today. What started off...
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...Search Patterns When a crime has been committed and investigators need to search for evidence, there are different search patterns that investigators can choose from. These search patterns include spiral, line, zone, and grid (Siegel & Mirakovits, 2013). Depending on the crime scene, the investigator will choose from one of these search patterns that will best utilize the search for evidence. When an investigating team needs to search for evidence in a field where the field is overgrown, a grid search is a good search to utilize. When a field is overgrown, the searches may have to crawl on their hands and knees to locate any evidence and perform a thorough search. A grid line search consists of searchers following a line pattern and then following another line pattern that is perpendicular to the first line pattern (Lee, Palmbach, & Miller, 2001). The grid search pattern is a good search to utilize because it allows two different searchers, or the same searcher, to search the same area twice. Therefore, the searchers a more likely not to miss any evidence that needs to be collected. A con to the grid line search is that it is very time consuming and if the boundaries to be searched are not well established, than the search will not be very thorough (Lee, Palmbach, & Miller, 2001). The grid line search was chosen for this scenario because a thorough search can be accomplished by having two different searchers look over the same area. If one searcher...
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...Vincent Maher Spring 2010 The CSI: New York episode “down the rabbit hole” starts off with a maintenance guy discovering a body lying on the floor of a inventory room full of mannequins. Next, the first officer arrives on the scene of the crime and, as explained on page 39 of the textbook, he isolates and secures the crime scene and we also see the maintenance guy being questioned. Later, the walk through of the scene is made and the photography unit proceeds in the capture of photos (p.). the forensic pathologist examines the stage of decomposition of the body and determines by evaluating the rigor mortis (p.21) that the victim has been dead for 5 hours. They also find out that the victim was shot in the head and discover a surgical tubing around the wrist of the victim. After a blood sample is taken, two dashes around the neck are noticed. Later in this episode we see two physical criminalists doing a spiral search of the crime scene with flash lights. A latent fingerprint(p.) is retrieved. During the body analysis, the pathologist in charge of the case finds a tick ( blood sucking insect found only in the woods) in one of the victim’s wounds. He reveals that the cuts on the neck were made by a surgical scalpel and that the tick was bloodless meaning, that it entered the wound prior to death. The ballistics unit (p.) identified the bullet as a 45 caliber weapon bullet which might have been mounted with a silencer. Also found at the crime scene was a doll with a name on it...
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...Crime scene investigation is the meeting point between science, logic and law. Processing a crime scene is and long and tedious process and is the job of crime scene investigators (CSI). CSI has the responsibilities of collecting, documenting, preserving, reconstructing and presenting evidence. It is their job to examine any physical evidence that could remotely shed any light on what happened and who is responsible. There are no typical crime scenes, evidence or investigative approaches and every crime scene should be approached in a systematic sense. According to Robert R. Ogle Jr., a crime scene search is defined as a systematic, methodical search for any physical evidence at a crime scene. Before the job of CSI can begin, there has to be a crime committed. For instance, CSI are on call for murder scene investigations to collect and examine evidence. When CSI is contacted, their job begins. Evidence is a major part in any investigation. Without evidence, a case can grow cold quick. Anything can be evidence and when in a crime scene, everything should be treated as such. Evidence has many different categories: trace, firearm, impression, drug and alcohol, document, and biological fluids. All of these categories of evidence play an important part in finding out valuable information towards solving a case. The most important aspect of evidence collection and preservation is protecting the crime scene. When first approaching a crime scene, first responders should secure the...
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