Autopsy of a Crime Lab

Autopsy of a Crime Lab PDF Author: Brandon L. Garrett
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520976630
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
This book exposes the dangerously imperfect forensic evidence that we rely on for criminal convictions. "That's not my fingerprint, your honor," said the defendant, after FBI experts reported a "100-percent identification." The FBI was wrong. It is shocking how often they are. Autopsy of a Crime Lab is the first book to catalog the sources of error and the faulty science behind a range of well-known forensic evidence, from fingerprints and firearms to forensic algorithms. In this devastating forensic takedown, noted legal expert Brandon L. Garrett poses the questions that should be asked in courtrooms every day: Where are the studies that validate the basic premises of widely accepted techniques such as fingerprinting? How can experts testify with 100-percent certainty about a fingerprint, when there is no such thing as a 100 percent match? Where is the quality control at the crime scenes and in the laboratories? Should we so readily adopt powerful new technologies like facial recognition software and rapid DNA machines? And why have judges been so reluctant to consider the weaknesses of so many long-accepted methods? Taking us into the lives of the wrongfully convicted or nearly convicted, into crime labs rocked by scandal, and onto the front lines of promising reform efforts driven by professionals and researchers alike, Autopsy of a Crime Lab illustrates the persistence and perniciousness of shaky science and its well-meaning practitioners.

Autopsy of a Crime Lab

Autopsy of a Crime Lab PDF Author: Brandon L. Garrett
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520976630
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book exposes the dangerously imperfect forensic evidence that we rely on for criminal convictions. "That's not my fingerprint, your honor," said the defendant, after FBI experts reported a "100-percent identification." The FBI was wrong. It is shocking how often they are. Autopsy of a Crime Lab is the first book to catalog the sources of error and the faulty science behind a range of well-known forensic evidence, from fingerprints and firearms to forensic algorithms. In this devastating forensic takedown, noted legal expert Brandon L. Garrett poses the questions that should be asked in courtrooms every day: Where are the studies that validate the basic premises of widely accepted techniques such as fingerprinting? How can experts testify with 100-percent certainty about a fingerprint, when there is no such thing as a 100 percent match? Where is the quality control at the crime scenes and in the laboratories? Should we so readily adopt powerful new technologies like facial recognition software and rapid DNA machines? And why have judges been so reluctant to consider the weaknesses of so many long-accepted methods? Taking us into the lives of the wrongfully convicted or nearly convicted, into crime labs rocked by scandal, and onto the front lines of promising reform efforts driven by professionals and researchers alike, Autopsy of a Crime Lab illustrates the persistence and perniciousness of shaky science and its well-meaning practitioners.

Police Lab

Police Lab PDF Author: David Owen
Publisher: Firefly Books
ISBN: 9781552976203
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
An overview of forensic science for young adult readers that includes case studies of actual crimes

Tainting Evidence

Tainting Evidence PDF Author: John F. Kelly
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780743236416
Category : Crime laboratories
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Animal Investigators

Animal Investigators PDF Author: Laurel A. Neme
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416594612
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Inside the Clark R. Bavin U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory lies a rarely seen world, a CSI for wildlife, where a walk-in freezer contains carcasses and animal parts awaiting necropsies (animal autopsies); shelves and drawers hold pills, rugs, carvings, and countless other products made from parts of endangered animals; and a dedicated group of forensic scientists is responsible for victims from thirty thousand animal species. Accomplished environmental journalist Laurel A. Neme goes behind the scenes at the wildlife forensics lab -- the only crime lab of its kind -- to reveal how its forensic scientists and the agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to investigate wildlife crimes, protect endangered species, and stem illegal wildlife trafficking, the third largest illegal trade in the world. In three fascinating cases -- headless walrus washed up on the shores of Alaska, black bears killed for the healing powers of their gallbladders, and gorgeous feathered headdresses secretly shipped to the United States from the Amazon -- Neme traces the USFWS's daring undercover investigations and how the scientists' innovative forensic techniques provide conclusive evidence of a crime. Throughout, she underscores the staggering international scope of the supply and demand for wildlife and animal parts. Filled with the suspense and thrilling detail of a crime novel yet driven by the all-too-real drama of a small band of scientists and investigators battling a lucrative, high-stakes underground industry, Animal Investigators is an engrossing account of crime and cutting-edge science.

Crime Lab Report

Crime Lab Report PDF Author: John M. Collins
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128173289
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 390

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Book Description
Crime Lab Report compiles the most relevant and popular articles that appeared in this ongoing periodical between 2007 and 2017. Articles have been categorized by theme to serve as chapters, with an introduction at the beginning of each chapter and a description of the events that inspired each article. The author concludes the compilation with a reflection on Crime Lab Report, the retired periodical, and the future of forensic science as the 21st Century unfolds. Intended for forensic scientists, prosecutors, defense attorneys and even students studying forensic science or law, this compilation provides much needed information on the topics at hand. - Presents a comprehensive look 'behind the curtain' of the forensic sciences from the viewpoint of someone working within the field - Educates practitioners and laboratory administrators, providing talking points to help them respond intelligently to questions and criticisms, whether on the witness stand or when meeting with politicians and/or policymakers - Captures an important period in the history of forensic science and criminal justice in America

Crime Lab 101

Crime Lab 101 PDF Author: Robert Gardner
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486311260
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
Kids fascinated by crime and police work will appreciate this inside look at detection and forensic science. The 25 experiments can be performed at home and offer fascinating explanations of police lab techniques.

Autopsy of a Crime Lab

Autopsy of a Crime Lab PDF Author: Brandon Garrett
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520389654
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
This book exposes the dangerously imperfect forensic evidence that we rely on for criminal convictions. "That's not my fingerprint, your honor," said the defendant, after FBI experts reported a "100-percent identification." The FBI was wrong. It is shocking how often they are. Autopsy of a Crime Lab is the first book to catalog the sources of error and the faulty science behind a range of well-known forensic evidence, from fingerprints and firearms to forensic algorithms. In this devastating forensic takedown, noted legal expert Brandon L. Garrett poses the questions that should be asked in courtrooms every day: Where are the studies that validate the basic premises of widely accepted techniques such as fingerprinting? How can experts testify with 100-percent certainty about a fingerprint, when there is no such thing as a 100 percent match? Where is the quality control at the crime scenes and in the laboratories? Should we so readily adopt powerful new technologies like facial recognition software and rapid DNA machines? And why have judges been so reluctant to consider the weaknesses of so many long-accepted methods? Taking us into the lives of the wrongfully convicted or nearly convicted, into crime labs rocked by scandal, and onto the front lines of promising reform efforts driven by professionals and researchers alike, Autopsy of a Crime Lab illustrates the persistence and perniciousness of shaky science and its well-meaning practitioners.

Cops in Lab Coats

Cops in Lab Coats PDF Author: Sandra Guerra Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781611635294
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Situated firmly at the intersection of the courtroom and the lab room, Cops in Lab Coats illustrates the legal and personal gravity of forensic science as a tool for police and lawyers alike. Thompson combines her studies of wrongful convictions, scientific mishandling in the lab room, and the legal interplay of analysts and lawyers to hone in on the need for independent crime labs nationwide. Cops in Lab Coats brings a fresh and critical perspective to the world of forensic science and illustrates the dire need for independence between crime labs and police departments across the country.

Blood, Powder, and Residue

Blood, Powder, and Residue PDF Author: Beth A. Bechky
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 069120585X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
A rare behind-the-scenes look at the work of forensic scientists The findings of forensic science—from DNA profiles and chemical identifications of illegal drugs to comparisons of bullets, fingerprints, and shoeprints—are widely used in police investigations and courtroom proceedings. While we recognize the significance of this evidence for criminal justice, the actual work of forensic scientists is rarely examined and largely misunderstood. Blood, Powder, and Residue goes inside a metropolitan crime laboratory to shed light on the complex social forces that underlie the analysis of forensic evidence. Drawing on eighteen months of rigorous fieldwork in a crime lab of a major metro area, Beth Bechky tells the stories of the forensic scientists who struggle to deliver unbiased science while under intense pressure from adversarial lawyers, escalating standards of evidence, and critical public scrutiny. Bechky brings to life the daily challenges these scientists face, from the painstaking screening and testing of evidence to making communal decisions about writing up the lab report, all while worrying about attorneys asking them uninformed questions in court. She shows how the work of forensic scientists is fraught with the tensions of serving justice—constantly having to anticipate the expectations of the world of law and the assumptions of the public—while also staying true to their scientific ideals. Blood, Powder, and Residue offers a vivid and sometimes harrowing picture of the lives of highly trained experts tasked with translating their knowledge for others who depend on it to deliver justice.

Forensic Science

Forensic Science PDF Author: Richard Saferstein
Publisher: Prentice Hall
ISBN: 9780131391871
Category : Crime scene searches
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Forensic Science: From the Crime Scene to the Crime Lab, Second Edition, is designed to present forensic science in a straightforward and student-friendly format. Ideal for students with limited background in the sciences, topics are arranged to integrate scientific methodology with actual forensic applications. Discussions are focused on explaining state-of-the-art technology without delving into extraneous theories that may bore or overwhelm non-science students. Only the most relevant scientific and technological concepts are presented, keeping students focused on the practical knowledge they'll need in the field.