THE UNREALIZED POTENTIAL OF DNA TESTING

      This article can mainly be described with this statement, "Today, although most crimes continue to be solved through confessions and eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence--most often drugs, fingerprints, firearms, blood, and semen--has come increasingly to be used to establish the truth." The authors introduces the idea on how DNA has improved in the years and has helped tremendously with solving crimes. The article also showcases that DNA has become a routines in the courthouse. The use of DNA to solve investigations has increase greatly in the passed years.
        IN THE U.S. Today almost all States have legislation related to DNA data banking, most of it focusing on collecting and testing DNA from individuals convicted of sexual assaults and often homicides. In some cases the legislation requires collection from all convicted felons. Although DNA databanking was proposed almost 10 years ago, and although data banking has been almost universally adopted at the State level, the concept of its development in this country is still rudimentary.
       This article is based was written to allow people to acknowledge the fact that DNA and forensic evidence have great potential in the future. If the potential of DNA and forensic evidence can be established or realized, the percentage of people getting away with murder will hugely decrease.




       The article helps consider a great future for Forensic evidence. It showcases that forensic evidence is reliable, and its accuracy is increasing greatly. With the help of technology being invented,  tools becoming more and more reliable, and the more determined forensic scientist at work will help ensure a phenomenal  future for forensics. 


Do you agree with the authors?




Weedn, Victor Walter, and John W. Hicks. "The Unrealized Potential of DNA Testing." National Institute of Justice Journal (U.S. Dept. of Justice). Dec. 1997: 16-23. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 20 May 2012.

Forensic Science and Crime Scene Investigation: Past, Present, and Future

      In George Schiro's article he explains how past advancement in forensics, foreshadows future advancement. He evaluates the most significant advancement in the future. One of which was the the improvement of photography. Investigators now are able to easily view crime scene at any given because of the amount of photography taken with high profile cameras. He suspects that with the amount of improvements that the forensic industry has had, the future is looking to be her easy to solve crimes.  Schiro also explains the the advancements of Fingerprinting and DNA. Forensic scientist and investigators both you a system called AFIS to identify suspects by using fingerprints and DNA. This system was made about 33 yrs. ago, before then it was time consuming and very hard identify people. AFIS helped developed a faster easily used technique that enable investigators to identify crime suspects. With this information Schiro believes that hopefully in the future, science can develop a way where suspects can be identify instantly. He has develop a theory that in the near future scientist will be able to read fingerprints by using cell phones, or other technologies instantly.




Does Schiro have a reasonable assumption of the future?


Do you think that Forensic science has a future on improvement?






WEBSITE


Schiro, G. Forensic Science and Crime Scene Investigation: Past, Present, and Future. American Lawman, Spring 2000.

Electrostatic Dust Print Lifter

    This video contains a way to solve a crime by using the dust print lifter. The Electrostatic Dust printer lifter allows investigators to visual see footprints. The lifter works by placing the right type of material paper with the lifter machine were you are predicting a foot print may be. After placing the machine and the paper, the device will quickly retrieve the dust and form and footprint on the piece of paper. There are different types of paper used, one for metals, carpet, and regular flooring. After the print is made, the investigator and the forensic scientist have little time to further analyse the print, because the print may begin to deteriorate. 


VIDEO

Do you think that this machine is valuable to forensic scientist?

Can this device be accused for improving forensic accuracy?

Does this method allow scientist to view the footprint years after the crime was closed?

What determines the length of a forensic computer investigation?

      This video introduces a new technology, Brain Fingerprinting, that has been developed by Lawrence Farwell. The computer software collects moments for visual interactions from the criminal's mind. When a person takes any information from the world, the brain produces an electrical charge called "P300 murmur". Farwell discovered a way to read the "P300 murmur". The more "P300 murmurs" that exists the more helpful it could be for the brain the acknowledge the pictures. They have been able to use brain fingerprinting on a severe case with a serial killer. Farwell was able to retrieve the serial killer's memory by using the software, after the serial killer denied the crime. Farwell was able to put the serial killer in jail and serving a life sentence. Brain fingerprinting can also catch terrorist. The software can also determine the type of power does the suspect have in the terrorist group, and what training has he gotten. 




Link for Video


 New technology and tools are being discovered has time goes by and each one is helping improve the accuracy. By introducing these new technology crimes are being able to be solved and people are getting caught. This source is yet another source that applies to how the accuracy of forensics is sure  to be improving has the times flies.


- Can the discovery of brain fingerprinting foreshadow any future discoveries in the forensic world.
- By improving forensic tools, are we improving forensic accuracy?  

A Forensic Laboratory

   A forensic Laboratory is filled will various exciting and usual things. A laboratory is used by different scientist specialized in the similar science studies trying to unravel a forensic mystery. By using each scientist unique intelligence they are able to connect and share results and develop answers.Usually the laboratories are interdependently run, but there are some cases that police stations have their forensic laboratory. Some laboratories are put with universities allowing students to have first hand experience. Each laboratory include various types of modern technology that help analyze any type of evidence. Photography is very vital in a forensic laboratory because it is used to create visual images of evidence to be able to analyze. Maintaining a laboratory is very hard and involves hundreds of people to help out and make sure everything run sufficiently.




Do you think that allowing students to have a first hand experience with forensic laboratories predicts a good outcome for future forensic technology?




Do you think that forensic Laboratories play a vital role in crime scenes being solved?

"Forensic Science | The Forensic Laboratory." ThinkQuest : Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00206/tte_forensic_lab.htm>.

Step Toward Better Track Evidence Photos

   The article describes and explains the importance of evaluating impressions. Each impressions are to be strictly analyzed. Taking a photograph of a impression must be done properly in order to have use for the impression. Following the directed guideline can ensure sufficient details are recorded.
   Crime scene documentation should include the basic series  of photographs advised for all crimes scenes evidence.Overall photographs include the tracks or impressions and relate their locations within the general context of the crime scene.All close-up impressions should be taken utilizing proper camera position.

   Taking  impression photographs require specific detailed steps. Since the photographs are taken very detailed, we can ensure that this method of analyzing a crime scene is helping improve forensic studies.

-Do you think that forensic impressions are a great source to solve a crime?

Hammer, Lesley . " Step Toward Better Track Evidence Photos." Forensics Magazine 15 June 2011: n. pag. Forensic Magazine . Web. 15 Apr. 1996.

Innovations in Scanning Electron Microscopy Preserve Sample Integrity and Validity in Forensic Analysi

      The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) allows forensic scientist to get well powered and magnified pictures. This machine has analytical capabilities that most other techniques don't have. Scanning Electron Microscopes have a large depth fields which makes is capable to capture well-focused images of complex three dimensional objects. The Scanning Electron Microscope is used for various objects, such as hair strands, gun residue, paint fiber, and many more.Other microscopes form real images with reflecting light, the SEM makes a visual appearance on a electronic screen. 

      Electron Scanning Microscopes is just one of the many tools used to identify suspects.Machinery like this one is continued to be made and improved, as the years increase forensics will continue to become for accurate. Just by using this microscope it allows them to be a step closer to the results.

Is the Scanning Electron microscope like any other microscope?

By inventing machinery like this one do you think that forensic can increase their accuracy?

Kruesemann,  Hans . " Innovations in Scanning Electron Microscopy Preserve Sample Integrity and Validity in Forensic Analysis." Forensic 1 Dec. 2008: 5. Print.