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Current Methods In Forensic Gunshot Residue Analysis

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Introduction

Forensic science may be defined as the application of various scientific disciplines to aid the criminal justice system. Gunshot residue (GSR) evidence is an area of forensic science that is often underestimated and underappreciated by the forensic community. It is certainly one of the most underutilized types of physical evidence. The staggering increase in firearms-related offenses in the U.S. has intensified the importance of rapid and accurate GSR analysis. In a recent report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cites firearms as the weapons of choice in over 30% of 1.7 million incidents of violent crime. This book was written in response to the growing realization of the significance of GSR as evidence and the lack of textbooks that discuss current developments in this area of forensics. Despite advancements in analytical techniques and adjustments to the classification of GSR particles, no text that discusses these developments has been produced. In particular, this book provides a unique resource to help examiners at every

Crime Scene And Physical Evidence Awareness For Non-forensic Personnel

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Every incident, be it a crime, accident, natural disaster, armed conflict, or other, leaves traces at the scene. The goal of the subsequent investigation is to correctly interpret the facts, reconstruct the events and understand what happened. Due to the transient and fragile nature of those traces, their reliability and the preservation of their physical integrity depend to a very large extent on initial actions at the scene of the incident. Evidence integrity can be achieved with very limited means by observing a key set of guiding principles. Acting with care and professionalism throughout the crime scene investigation process is critical for the admissibility of evidence for court purposes as well as for human rights inquiries and humanitarian action. The present manual was prepared to fill a gap in the compendium of available tools for the judiciary and law enforcement agencies and is the result of a consultative process involving a number of reputable individuals, institutions and organizations, who

Crime Scene Reconstruction

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Crime Scene Reconstruction

Definition(s)

Crime scene reconstruction is the use of scientific methods, physical evidence, deductive reasoning, and their interrelationships to gain explicit knowledge of the series of events that may have led up to the crime and what exactly happened at a specific crime scene. It is a disciplined and principled approach towards objectively understanding a crime scene. Crime reconstruction helps interpret physical evidence. It is an aid to help formulate a hypothesis and arrive at a conclusion about a certain crime. Forensic specialists all come together with their different forms of evidence such as photos, sketches, and other useful things gathered from the crime scene to paint a vivid picture which makes it possible to retrace a crime that took place. Using evidence found at a proper crime scene you can reconstruct what happened and possibly find more clues. When focusing on other types of forensics, there are three areas of importance in finding the answers and determining

Additional Resource:: Chapter 10 - Crime Scene Reconstruction

Effective Use of Courtroom Technology: A Judge’s Guide to Pretrial and Trial

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Preface

This guide describes the substantive and procedural considerations that may arise when lawyers bring electronic equipment to the courtroom or use court-provided equipment for displaying or playing evidentiary exhibits or illustrative aids during trial. The guide sets out what lawyers are normally trying to accomplish, the objections opposing counsel may raise, and the considerations of fairness that may attend the various uses of courtroom technology. The materials cover issues that are raised with some frequency as well as more arcane matters that may arise only in special circumstances. The organization of the materials is intended to facilitate quick reference without any need to read the entire volume, and to assist in the conduct of trials using technology from the initial phases of discovery through posttrial briefing. The Federal Judicial Center, which provides research and educational programs for federal judges and court personnel, joined with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that has provided trial

Multiple Homicide Offenders Offense Characteristics Social Correlates And Criminal Careers

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Because investigations of multiple homicide offenders (MHOs) are usually case studies, there is limited understanding of the linkages between them and other criminal offenders. Using data from an exploratory sample of 160 MHOs and a control group of 494 single homicide offenders, this study examines MHOs from a criminal career perspective and finds that nearly 30% of them were habitual offenders before their final homicide event. Those with prior rape convictions, misdemeanor convictions, more extensive prison histories, and current involvement in rape and burglary are more likely to kill multiple victims. Curiously, nearly 40% of MHOs had zero prior arrests. Overall, arrest onset occurs later in the life course and is not predictive of offending. In conclusion, the study of MHOs could enrich the criminal career perspective, while posing some empirical and theoretical challenges to that paradigm.

Multiple homicide offenders (MHOs), defined as criminal defendants who murder more than one person during a criminal episode,1 occupy a peculiar place in criminology. Because of

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Involves The Scientific Study Of The Static Consequences…

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

A. INTRODUCTION

Bloodstain pattern analysis involves the scientific study of the static consequences resulting from dynamic blood shedding events. A detailed study of bloodstain patterns at crime scenes often develops invaluable evidence. The distribution, size and shape of bloodstains on a victim, on a suspect, or on the walls, floors, ceilings, or on objects at the scene can help reconstruct these blood shedding events. Bloodstain pattern analysis can also help one evaluate the credibility of statements provided by a witness, a victim, or a suspect. Physical evidence waits to be detected, preserved, evaluated, and analyzed. Herb McDonnell once said that in the course of a trial, both defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys may lie, witnesses may lie, and the defendant certainly may lie. Yes, even the judge may lie. Only the evidence never lies. But if the evidence is not properly recognized, documented, preserved, and processed, all we have are attorneys, witnesses, defendants, and judges. Enough said.

Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiovascular System

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Introduction

The human heart pumps blood through the arteries, which connect to smaller arterioles and then even smaller capillaries. It is here that nutrients, electrolytes, dissolved gases, and waste products are exchanged between the blood and surrounding tissues. The capillaries are thin-walled vessels interconnected with the smallest arteries and smallest veins Approximately 7,000 L of blood is pumped by the heart every day. In an average person’s life, the heart will contract about 2.5 billion times.Blood flow throughout the body begins its return to the heart when the capillaries return blood to the venules and then to the larger veins. The cardiovascular system, therefore, consists of a closed circuit: the heart, arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins (see Figure 5–1). The venules and veins are part of the pulmonary circuit because they send deoxygenated blood to the lungs to receive oxygen and unload carbon dioxide. The arteries and arterioles are part ...of the systemic circuit because they send oxygenated blood ...

Amnesia and Crime

February 14, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Amnesia for serious offenses has important legal implications, particularly regarding its relevance in the contexts of competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility. Forensic psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are often required to provide expert testimony regarding amnesia in defendants. However, the diagnosis of amnesia presents a challenge, as claims of memory impairment may stem from organic disease, dissociative amnesia, amnesia due to a psychotic episode, or malingered amnesia. We review the theoretical, clinical, and legal perspectives on amnesia in relation to crime and present relevant cases that demonstrate several types of crime-related amnesia and their legal repercussions. Consideration of the presenting clinical features of crimerelated amnesia may enable a fuller understanding of the different types of amnesia and assist clinicians in the medico-legal assessment and diagnosis of the claimed memory impairment. The development of a profile of aspects characteristic of crime-related amnesia would build toward establishing guidelines for the assessment of amnesia in legal contexts.

The Gay Panic Defense

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

INTRODUCTION

Americans today have mixed feelings about homosexuality. A 2007 Gallup/USA poll found that while 48% of those polled felt homosexuality was an acceptable alternative lifestyle, 46% felt the opposite way. Another 2007 poll found that 51% of those polled thought homosexual behavior is morally wrong, and only 35% felt homosexual behavior is acceptable. Americans are also deeply divided over whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry.

While there is more acceptance of lesbians and gays today compared to just a few years ago, gays and lesbians still experience a significant amount of prejudice and discrimination. Approximately three quarters of gays and lesbians have been the target of verbal abuse and approximately one-third have been the target of physical violence based on their sexual orientation. Violence against gays and lesbians is a problem even in cities with sizable gay and lesbian populations. In a survey of young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area, “almost 1 in

Alcoholic Blackout for Criminally Relevant Behavior

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Some criminal suspects claim to have had an alcohol-induced blackout during crimes they have committed. Are alcoholic blackouts a frequently occurring phenomenon, or are they merely used as an excuse to minimize responsibility? Frequency and type of blackout were surveyed retrospectively in two healthy samples (n 256 and n 100). Also, a comparison of blood alcohol concentrations was made between people who did and those who did not claim a blackout when stopped in a traffic-control study (n 100). In the two survey studies, blackouts were reported frequently by the person himself (or herself) and others (67% and 76%, respectively) in contrast to the traffic-control study (14%), in which blackouts were reported only when persons were involved in an accident. These results indicate that although blackouts during serious misbehavior are reported outside the court, both the denial and the claim of alcoholic blackout may serve a strategic function.

The following vignette is based on a real case. Amsterdam, 1999. A 30-year-old man consumed a considerable

Trial Technology PowerPoint Jury Instructions

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

When I started discussing my experience giving jury instructions by PowerPoint, one of my colleagues blurted out, “I’m not sure I see the point. If you want them to fol‑ low along, why not just give them each a set of typed instructions to read while you’re reading them out loud? . . . I find PowerPoint unspeakably boring and oppressive. It’s generally an indulgence that hinders rather than promotes communications. It’s a bit like being forced to watch your neighbor’s two-hour slide show following a vacation.” My colleague then defiantly inquired: “How do you know the jurors liked it? . . . I hated the PowerPoint presentation I was forced to watch when I was a juror, but no one ever asked me. No doubt the lawyer who used it will claim that jurors like it.” Well, it seems that my colleague really gave me a piece of his mind on the intrusion of PowerPoint into his life.

Additional Resource: Court Technology Framework | National Center for State Courts

Courthouse: Courtroom | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide

Relief From The Collateral Consequences Of A Criminal Conviction

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

This work is the first complete survey of U.S. laws and practices that overcome or mitigate the collateral legal consequences of a criminal conviction. It begins with short analytical pieces on executive pardon, judicial expungement and sealing, deferred adjudication and set-aside, certificates of rehabilitation, and laws that limit consideration of conviction in connection with employment and licensing. Author Margaret Colgate Love is Director of the ABA Commission on Effective Criminal Sanctions.

The heart of the guide is its detailed descriptions of available relief mechanisms for each U.S. jurisdiction and how they operate. A Table of Charts allows easy state-to-state comparisons. The guide is an invaluable resource for policymakers and legal researchers dealing with the barriers to offender re-entry and for practitioners at every level of the justice system.

This work, the first-ever effort to catalog and analyze the relief mechanisms in every state, will be an indispensable field manual for practitioners and a valuable tool for advocates and policymakers.

Prosecution Strategies in Domestic Violence

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1.1 Background and Purpose

The criminal justice system has only recently begun to respond to domestic violence as a public offense. Under common law, a man could lawfully beat his wife because he was legally responsible for her actions and therefore could “correct” her behavior through chastisement.’ Although wife beating was declared illegal in all states in 1920; domestic violence was largely ignored. Domestic violence historically has been viewed as a family matter, out of the purview of the criminal justice system. It was dealt with primarily through attempts at mediation or reconciliation, rather than through punishment. Attention to battered women in the U.S. did not become widespread until 1975 and early 1976, with the beginning of the Battered Womenk Movement? The roots of the movement saw the establishment of the first shelters for battered women in St. Paul, Minnesota and Boston, Massachusetts. Since that time, services for battered women have expanded through the establishment of additional suppor

Crime Scene Clues to Suspect Misdirection of the Investigation

December 28, 2018August 5, 2017 by admin

ABSTRACT

In the course of their career, most detectives and forensic practitioners will come into contact with a staged crime scene; a scene that has been altered by the offender to either mislead a police investigation as to the true facts of the crime or for other reasons understood only by the offender. To better understand the dynamics of the event, the nature of “staging” is examined through the introduction of distinct categories of staged crime scenes based on the motive of the offender’s misdirection. With this in mind, the offender’s objective relevant to the staged event can be divided into three separate types, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. The Primary staged scene involves intentional and purposeful, altering or changing of the crime scene with specific criminal intent to misdirect a police investigation, where as Secondary staging involves the intentional alteration or manipulation of the crime scene or victim by an offender that is unrelated to misdirecting or diverting subsequent investigations. Noncriminal alterations; i.e.

South African Medical Journal Penetrating Stab Wounds Of The Chest

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

Penetrating stab wounds of the chest constitute an everpresent problem in many hospitals in South Africa. At Baragwanath Hospital, where approximately 1,500 cases are admitted annually, our experience in common with many other workers is that the mortality rate is steadily decreasing. Peace-time figures only are quoted, since war-time injuries involve tearing injuries by high velocity fragments as compared with the simple incised wound, common in peace-time. Representative mortality rates are: Boland' (1935) 13%, Elkin and Cooper' (1942) 62%, Skapinker" (1949) 6%, Gray et al: (1960) 3·8%, Garzan et al: (1964) 2%, and Baragwanath Hospital (1963) 1·6% (including those cases with thoraco-abdominal wounds who died during the postoperative period). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors operating in the patho-physiology of this condition and the treatment in relation to the patho-physiology, resulting in the lowered mortality rate.PATHO-PHYSIOLOGY IN PENETRATING WOUNDS OF THE CHEST Penetrating injuries of the chest produce ill-effects as a result of the following factors

Integrating Information Systems into the Justice Community

February 13, 2019August 5, 2017 by admin

INTRODUCTION

“Any member of the justice community can access the information they need to do their job, at the time they need it, in a form that is useful, regardless of the location of the data.” This is the vision that the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) Advisory Committee (GAC) an advisory body to the U.S. attorney general, the assistant U.S. attorney general, and the U.S. Office of Justice Programs that was created to promote issues related to the exchange of justice information described in the report “A Framework for Justice Information Sharing: Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).” Since that report, there have been a number of follow-up articles and practical initiatives that have attempted to further define and implement the principles and tenets that it champions. Technology vendors and service providers alike have responded to this need to share information across jurisdictions and are offering solutions for real-time information access regardless of the source or technology associated with that information. These solutions are developed around