Review Exam 1

Introduction
• - Definition of Forensic Science: The application of science to the
criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal
justice system.
• - Forensic Disciplines
• - People to know.
• - Oldest Forensic Lab in the US: Los Angeles Police Department
• - First US University Institute for Criminology and Criminalistics:
University of California at Berkley.
• - FBI´s Forensic Science Research and Training Center, 1981.
• - Types of Crime Labs: Private and Public: Federal, State, Local.
• - Basic Forensic Laboratory Services
• - Other Forensic Laboratory Services
• - Forensic Scientist Duties:Performing Scientific Analysis of Evidence;
• Offering Expert Testimony in criminal and civil proceedings
• - Definition of an Expert Witness
• - Forensic Scientist: Expert Testimony
 Crime Scene
- Goal of Crime Scene Processing: Collect and preserve evidence for later analysis
and reporting.
- Definition of: Evidence vs. Physical Evidence
- Duties of the First Officer at the scene
- Plan of Action: Preparation
- Preliminary Survey
- Don´t Do at Crime Scene
- Recording the Crime Scene: Photography: Overall, Medium, Close-up, Scale
- Sketches define: Rough Sketch; Final Sketch; CAD
- Crime Scene Search: Thorough and Systematic: Zone method (Quadrant);
Grid method; Line method; Wheel or ray method; Spiral method
- Evidence: Locating; Collecting; Handling; Packaging
- Evidence Packaging
- Definition of Chain of custody: Continuity of possession
- Definition: Standard/Reference Sample vs. Substrate Control
- Ensuring Crime Scene Safety:
1. Sources and Forms of Dangerous Materials
2. Universal Precautions
 Evidence
• - Definition: Trier-of-fact; Evidence; Physical Evidence
• - Types of Physical Evidence
• - The Significance of Physical Evidence: Definition:
• Identification
• Comparison
• Individual Characteristics
• Class Characteristics
• - Assessing the significance of Physical Evidence
• - Assessing the value of Physical Evidence
• - Cautions and Limitations in dealing with Physical Evidence
• - Identify Forensic Databases: IAFIS; CODIS; NIBIN; PDQ; SICAR:
Solemate Threadmate; NAMUS
 Fingerprints

• - People to know
• - Fundamental Principles of Fingerprints
• - Definition: Ridge Characteristics (Minutiae)
• - International Association for Identification (IAI) conclusion number of ridge
characteristics
• - Types of General Ridge Patterns and their types:
• - Primary Classification of Fingerprints based on Henry´s original design
• - AFIS
• - Definition of ACE-V process
• - Methods of detecting fingerprints: Definition:
• - Preservation of Developed Prints
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