1.4:  The Role of 
           the Forensic 
              Scientist
   SFS1. Students will recognize and classify various types 
   of evidence in relation to the definition and scope of 
   Forensic Science. 
     a. Compare and contrast the history of scientific forensic techniques 
     used in collecting and submitting evidence for admissibility in court 
     (e.g. Locard’s Exchange Principle, Frye standard, Daubert ruling). 
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  a forensic scientist’s time is split between the lab and 
  •
  the courtroom, where the ultimate significance of the 
  evidence is determined
  •after analyzing physical evidence, they must persuade 
  a jury to accept the conclusions drawn from that 
  analysis
  Part I:  Analyzing Physical Evidence/Scientific 
  Method
  •3 major avenues available to police                                
  investigators for assistance in solving a                           
  crime:  confessions by suspects, eyewitness                    
   accounts (victims or witnesses), and                               
     physical evidence from a crime scene
  •only physical evidence is free of inherent error and bias
   •faulty memories and lapses in judgment lead to 
    erroneous charges/convictions
    faulty memories and lapses in judgment lead to 
   •
    erroneous charges/convictions
   •preliminary evaluations of events/circumstances 
    surrounding crimes are often compounded by 
    misleading eyewitness statements and inappropriate 
    confessions
  •physical evidence is free of bias because it must 
  undergo scientific inquiry before being presented to a 
  jury
  •scientific method = process suing strict                        
         guidelines to ensure careful and                                
        systematic collections, organization, and                   
               analysis of information
    1. state the problem
    2. gather information
  scientific method =                                                 
  •
  process suing strict guidelines                                          
      to ensure careful and                                                 
  systematic collections,                                               
  organization, and analysis of                                           
  information
    1. state the problem
    2. gather information
    3. form a hypothesis
    4. test the hypothesis 
    5. record and analyze data
    6. state the conclusion
    the principles of the scientific method provide a 
   •
    safety net to ensure the outcome of an investigation 
    is not tainted by human emotion or compromised by 
    belittling, distorting, or ignoring contrary evidence
   •only when hypotheses are validated by 
    experimentation are they deemed suitable as 
    scientific evidence (meaning appropriate for use in a 
    criminal investigation and eligible for admission into 
    a court of law)