Forensic Investigation of Clandestine Laboratories

Forensic Investigation of Clandestine Laboratories PDF

Author: Donnell R. Christian, Jr.

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2003-07-28

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 9780849312274

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Clandestine lab operators are not the mad scientists whose genius keeps them pent up in the laboratory contemplating elaborate formulas and mixing exotic chemicals. In fact, their equipment is usually simple, their chemicals household products, and their education basic. Most of the time the elements at the scene are perfectly legal to sell and own. It is only in the combination of all these elements that the lab becomes the scene of a criminal operation. Forensic Investigation of Clandestine Laboratories guides you, step-by-step, through the process of recognizing these illegal manufacturing operations. Then it shows you how to prove it in the courtroom. In non-technical language this book details: How to recognize a clandestine lab How to process the site of a clandestine lab How to analyze evidence in the examination laboratory What to derive from the physical evidence How to present the evidence in court The identification and investigation of a clandestine lab, and the successful prosecution of the perpetrators, is a team effort. A collaboration of law enforcement, forensic experts, scientists, and criminal prosecutors is required to present a case that definitively demonstrates how a group of items with legitimate uses are being used to manufacture an illegal controlled substance. Providing an understanding of how the pieces of the clandestine lab puzzle fit together, this book outlines the steps needed to identify and shut down these operations, as well as successfully prosecute the perpetrators.

Autopsy of a Crime Lab

Autopsy of a Crime Lab PDF

Author: Brandon Garrett

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2022-03

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 0520389654

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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.

Forensic Science Under Siege

Forensic Science Under Siege PDF

Author: Kelly Pyrek

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2010-07-27

Total Pages: 568

ISBN-13: 9780080471075

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Forensic science laboratories' reputations have increasingly come under fire. Incidents of tainted evidence, false reports, allegations of negligence, scientifically flawed testimony, or - worse yet - perjury in in-court testimony, have all served to cast a shadow over the forensic sciences. Instances of each are just a few of the quality-related charges made in the last few years. Forensic Science Under Siege is the first book to integrate and explain these problematic trends in forensic science. The issues are timely, and are approached from an investigatory, yet scholarly and research-driven, perspective. Leading experts are consulted and interviewed, including directors of highly visible forensic laboratories, as well as medical examiners and coroners who are commandeering the discussions related to these issues. Interviewees include Henry Lee, Richard Saferstein, Cyril Wecht, and many others. The ultimate consequences of all these pressures, as well as the future of forensic science, has yet to be determined. This book examines these challenges, while also exploring possible solutions (such as the formation of a forensic science consortium to address specific legislative issues). It is a must-read for all forensic scientists. Provides insight on the current state of forensic science, demands, and future direction as provided by leading experts in the field Consolidates the current state of standards and best-practices of labs across disciplines Discusses a controversial topic that must be addressed for political support and financial funding of forensic science to improve

The Forensic Anthropology Laboratory

The Forensic Anthropology Laboratory PDF

Author: Michael W. Warren

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2008-05-09

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 1040080375

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While other books cover general topics and various subsets of forensic anthropology, this one-of-a-kind reference compiles the best practices of policies, procedures, and protocols of different laboratories across the world. This book brings together experts in every aspect of forensic anthropology to consider physical plant demands, equipment needs, staffing, ethical issues, and the process of certification with the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. With examples of implementation, The Forensic Anthropology Laboratory also provides discussion of proven methods in skeletal preparation, laboratory flow, and specimen curation including processing logs and sample forms.

Criminalistics Laboratory Manual

Criminalistics Laboratory Manual PDF

Author: Elizabeth Erickson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-03-21

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 1317523121

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The Criminalistics Laboratory Manual: The Basics of Forensic Investigation provides students with little to no prior knowledge of forensic science with a practical crime scene processing experience. The manual starts with an original crime scene narrative setting up the crime students are to solve. This narrative is picked up in each of the forensic science lab activities, tying each forensic discipline together to show the integrated workings of a real crime lab. After the completion of all of the exercises, the student will be able to solve the homicide based on forensic evidence.

Cops in Lab Coats

Cops in Lab Coats PDF

Author: Sandra Guerra Thompson

Publisher:

Published: 2015-03-17

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 9781611635294

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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.

DNA Technology in Forensic Science

DNA Technology in Forensic Science PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1992-02-01

Total Pages: 199

ISBN-13: 0309045878

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Matching DNA samples from crime scenes and suspects is rapidly becoming a key source of evidence for use in our justice system. DNA Technology in Forensic Science offers recommendations for resolving crucial questions that are emerging as DNA typing becomes more widespread. The volume addresses key issues: Quality and reliability in DNA typing, including the introduction of new technologies, problems of standardization, and approaches to certification. DNA typing in the courtroom, including issues of population genetics, levels of understanding among judges and juries, and admissibility. Societal issues, such as privacy of DNA data, storage of samples and data, and the rights of defendants to quality testing technology. Combining this original volume with the new update-The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence-provides the complete, up-to-date picture of this highly important and visible topic. This volume offers important guidance to anyone working with this emerging law enforcement tool: policymakers, specialists in criminal law, forensic scientists, geneticists, researchers, faculty, and students.

Forensic DNA Analysis

Forensic DNA Analysis PDF

Author: J. Thomas McClintock

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2008-02-19

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1420063308

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In its short but active history, the use of DNA typing has revolutionized criminal investigations. It is almost inconceivable to bring a case to trial without positive identification through what is now our most accurate means. Proficiency with the methodology, principles, and interpretation of DNA evidence is crucial for today‘s criminalist.