Both the person accused of the crime and the accuser would give speeches based on their sides of the story. The individual with the best argument and delivery would determine the outcome of the case. This origin is the source of the two modern usages of the word forensic – as a form of legal evidence and as a category of public presentation. In modern use, the term "forensics" in the place of "forensic science" can be considered correct as the term "forensic" is effectively a synonym for "legal" or "related to courts". However the term is now so closely associated with the scientific field that many dictionaries include the meaning that equates the word "forensics" with "forensic science".
While it can be hard to understand why someone would falsely confess to a crime, psychological research has provided some answers and DNA exonerations have proven that the problem is more widespread than many people think. In approximately 25% of the wrongful convictions overturned with DNA evidence, defendants made false confessions, admissions or statements to law enforcement officials. In some false confession cases, details of the crime are inadvertently communicated to a suspect by police during questioning. Later, when a suspect knows these details, the police take the knowledge as evidence of guilt. Often, threats or promises are made to the suspect off camera and then the camera is turned on for a false confession.
This is a pivotal part in terms of maintain the functioning of society and to ensure that people don’t go around breaking laws wherever and whenever they want. The criminal justice system is therefore a central part of society and without is society would quickly deteriorate into chaos. There are however a number of issues in the criminal justice system. Some of these issues include false convictions and bias within the courtroom. The tutorial discussion this week was essentially discussing how the system operates and some of the flaws within the system such as false convictions which come about through human error or in extreme cases racial bias (Alberto F. Alesina, Eliana La Ferrara, 2011).
* * * * * Research Process and Terminology * ME * CJA/334 * March 5, 2014 * Dennis Dougan * Research Process and Terminology * How will this new terminology and knowledge apply to a career in criminal justice? Essentially, understanding the terminology that is associated with a specific career path is important because of the use it gets in the line of work. In criminal justice and other social science careers, the terminology carries over and without understanding it completely, terminology can hinder research capabilities as well as understanding previous research materials. Although different criminal justice careers have their own terminology based on their line of work, the research terminology is nearly universal. How can not knowing the proper terminology affect you as you conduct criminal justice research?
The Enclosed Space Protection System and the High Definition Surveying are two new technologies that law enforcement is using. These two new technologies are needed to help the law enforcement officer’s crackdown on the criminals. The law enforcement officers used to use the old batons, but they were starting to abuse people. Since the new technology has been invented the officers shouldn’t have to worry about that anymore. The ESDS was developed in Oak Ridge.
In addition to the interviews or even the interrogations the investigator needs to have a positive attitude, sensitivity and be able to think clearly when it comes time to collect evidence at the scene of the crime. Once this evidence is collected, the investigator will need to carefully transport the evidence collected to labs where it will be examined by professional specialists (forensic pathologists, DNA specialist or a finger print technician). In a rape case, some evidence could be skin under the victim’s
First and foremost, the job duties of a forensic are far more complex than that of a detective’s. Forensic scientists perform tasks such as examining fingerprints, testing DNA and interpreting laboratory findings. They basically carry out a criminal investigation through a scientific approach only. Unlike forensic scientists, detectives uses a more logical and observant approach to solving a crime. Detectives observe criminals’ actions, develop sources of information, and conduct interviews.
Such evidence is given primary status in many, if not all, criminal trials today ranging from crimes of murder to mere vandalism. Yet, despite the ‘heavyweight’ support given to the idea that forensic evidence is irrefutable it is argued by some that forensic science evidence alone should not convict. Arguably the Twentieth Century saw the explosion of science, not only in the area of forensic evidence but generally. Methods and techniques deployed in the gathering of evidence for conviction or acquittal changed at a dramatic pace and as each and every scientific discovery was made an application in Forensic Science was close behind. The gathering of forensic evidence at a crime scene is now paramount.
I feel as if the US needs to be more careful with their way of getting such law enforcement officers. Not that their way of selecting officers in today’s world isn’t enough there just needs to be more added to it. In conclusion the movie “US Marshals” conveys multiple levels of criminal behavior. Not only from a criminal running away from law enforcement but rogue cops also committing criminal acts. Before anyone is sent to jail and there is suspicion about the case their needs to be detective work done so that the system doesn’t make the wrong
Forensic Science Technician Criminal investigations involve a series of actions performed by many people in order to find the culprit of a crime, but one of the most important positions of a criminal investigation team is the forensic science technician. A forensic science technician is the person who tests and analyzes any evidence from a crime scene to figure out who committed the crime. “The most important part of this field is that it is so dynamic and always changing. Also, you are always contributing to society” (Moore). This field offers such a wide variety of studies, so a person earning a degree in forensic science does not have to be a forensic science technician, because there are multifarious branches of forensic science such as forensic nursing and many more.