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Forensic Evidence Analysis

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Anything that can be used in a court of law is referred to as forensics. Forensics can be any scientific test that can prove a connection to a crime. The information obtained in any test must be admissible in a court of law. There are many branches of forensic sciences; one branch that is not well known is forensic radiography, or forensic imaging. “Conducting examinations that use ionizing radiation to gather and analyze forensic evidence constitutes forensic radiography” (ASRT. (2010).).
Radiography uses ionizing radiation to capture images of bones and soft tissue. When these images are taken in conjunction with a crime, they become forensic evidence. Forensic images are not only limited to postmortem victims. These images can be used in …show more content…

All images taken by a technologist must be taken with the assumption that one day they can be used in a court of law. Radiographic images can be used to determine a person’s age or injury. Images can also be used to determine foreign objects, like contraband, inside of a person.
The first case of applying forensic radiography occurred in 1896, in Canada. A man was shot by his friend in the leg and radiographic imaging was used to locate the bullet. The radiograph showed the bullet fragments lodged between the man’s tibia and fibula. This information put away a man for attempted murder. This case started the acceptance of findings on radiographic images as valid evidence in a court of law.
On June 15, 1895 Mr. James Smith fell from a ladder while pruning a tree; Mr. Smith injured his hip. After waiting almost one month after his injury, Mr. Smith consulted with Dr. W. W. Grant. Mr. Grant gave Mr. Smith a diagnosis of “no fracture”. “Dr. Grant heard no more about Mr. Smith until April 1896, when the poorly paid law clerk engaged two of the best young lawyers in Colorado to file a $10,000 civil action against Dr. Grant, claiming limb shortening and disability as a result of his failure to diagnose a femoral fracture” (Barnard Health Care. (2012, November 5).). Mr. Smith, along with his attorneys, took advantage of the new technology of radiographic images. They enlisted the help of a “photojournalist”, to …show more content…

It utilizes scanning and imaging in order to get a better view of the body. The most common modalities used in virtual autopsies are Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging. These tests are performed differently on postmortem patients then they would be for someone who was living. Special considerations must be met with using CT and MR. Due to the fact that a postmortem body has decreased body tissue and fluid, different technical factors must be used, as well as different positioning.
“Conventional radiography remains the most common modality used in the forensics setting and equipment ranges from a simple mobile unit to a more advanced fixed radiographic unit” (Reynolds, A. (2010).). Gunshot wounds are the most common cause of homicide in the United States, therefore the use of forensic radiography becomes important. With the use of radiographic images, the beveling of bones from bullet wounds can be analyzed. Entrance and exit wounds of a bullet can also be determined. Ultimately with advancement in technology, a simple CT scan can determine the path of a

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Yet another approach was taken in Hotson v East Bershire Health Authority (1987). Here the plaintiff, a young boy, had gone to hospital after falling from a rope and injuring his knee. An X-ray showed no apparent injury, so he was sent home. Five days later, the boy was still in pain and when he was taken back to the hospital, a hip injury was diagnosed and treated. He went on to develop a condition known as a avascular necrosis, which is caused when blood supply to the site of an injury is restricted and eventually results in pain and deformity.

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Using a loose timeline, the stage of mortis or decomposition that the cadaver is in can be used to determine time of death. The specific time of death can either confirm or disprove an alibi, which helps in narrowing down a list of suspects or ultimately convicting a criminal. These same factors, specifically rigor, can also determine if a person truly died where the body was found. During rigor, a body stiffens. If a body is found in an unnatural position in regards to their surroundings while still in the stage of rigor mortis, then it can be concluded that they did not die there.

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In 1913, a case involving the identification of the remains of a man killed in a train accident was solved using dental evidence. The victim's dental records were compared to the teeth of the unidentified body, and a match was made. This case led to the development of a national database of dental records, which has since become a standard tool for forensic odontologists. During World War II, forensic odontology played a crucial role in identifying the remains of soldiers killed in battle as dental records were used to identify thousands of soldiers

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This exclaims that without these firm and vital procedures the guilty may go free, or the innocent may be wrongly convicted. People who believe that forensic science is irrelevant and untrustworthy are out of their

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Doing this, helpws protect the evidence and prevent cross contamination. The crime scene is the physical area where a crime is thought to of occurred and where the evidence of the said crime is thought to reside. Vital evidence to a case, can be found at a crime scene. This includes, fingerprints, DNA, foot prints, bullets, bullet casings, fibers, etc. It is important to determine if a crime has in fact been committed, if so, the officer must initiate enforcement action, by arresting or pursuing the offender or dispatching apprehension information.

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Photography as reconstruction Professional Practice Modern methods of collecting evidence have more objective character, such as DNA, fingerprints, blood types, autopsy and much more. No matter the fact that objective has its quality and reliability, some of them still in need of visual representation. Photography and visual representation have made a massive impact on modern investigations. Professionals use certain cameras to collect the visual appearance of the object found at the crime scene. As was previously mentioned, collecting the evidence correctly is extremely important for the future court case.

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Some people enjoy jigsaw puzzles and other like logic puzzles, but for a select few, the real puzzles are ones made of blood, flesh, and bone. Since the expansion of media, forensic scientists have been faced with the problem of television inaccuracies and their psychological effects in the courtroom. This problem has arisen from flawed portrayals of evidence gathering and testing that have confused viewers as to the real capacity of forensics. While multiple attempts to resolve this issue and re-establish impartiality have been made, none have yet succeeded, leaving analysts to do their best to control the damage and face the possibility of that being all they can do. As shows like CSI and NCIS project distortions of forensic science that

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If we look back thirty years ago, we will ask our self how we ever made it in forensic science investigations without the new technology we have today. I guess forensic science use what they had and made it work for the investigation purposes. According to (Warrington, 2007) Polaroid pictures were used in order to have them instant. Today you can use your cell phone to take instant pictures and video.

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Evidence based on scientific explanations is a good evidence that can be used in the criminal justice system. In addition, these evidences based on forensic science can be very useful and critical where these evidences can free innocently convicted accused. Criminal cases such as Duke lacrosse, David Millggard, Clayton Johnson, and Talao are examples of case that forensic science helped to prove their innocence. However, there is potential possibility that these evidences of forensic science can lead to wrongful convictions when the criminal justice system subjectively look into the scientific evidences. Michel Shirley in 1987 was arrested in 1987 for the murder and rape of Linda Cooke.

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helping to anticipate the unauthorized actions shown to be disruptive to planned operations”. This definition is generally accepted to be an all-inclusive definition. [6] Willassen and Mjølsnes (2005) defined digital forensics as “the practice of scientifically derived and proven technical methods and tools towards the after-the-fact digital information derived from digital sources for the purpose of facilitating or furthering the reconstruction of events as forensic evidence”. [6] The main difference between these two definitions is that Willassen and Mjølsnes (2005) removed the criminal element, which broadens the scope of application to include digital forensics in various types of investigations, such as commercial investigations.

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Forensic imaging, particularly MRI technology is crucial in determining the cause of death in forensic pathology. There are a few main techniques for forensic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT), and conventional radiography. The PMCT is generally used for gunshot wounds, detection of gas embolism, trauma cases, and changes in the skeletal system. Some advantages of this technique are that it is fast, easy to handle, good three-dimensional reconstruction, excellent visuals of the skeletal system and gases in the body. However, it is not without disadvantages like how it uses radiation, meaning companies must protect their employees, it has limited data storage, limited visualization of soft tissue and employees must go through extensive training to be authorized to operate it.

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Crime scene photography, sometimes referred to as forensic photography or forensic imaging, is the art of producing an accurate representation of an accident or crime scene. Crime scene photography is an important asset in the collection of evidence at the crime scene, documents the appearance and location of victims, shell casings, footprints, bloodstain patterns, and other physical evidence. In order for photographs to be admissible in a court of law, the standard for photographs of crime scenes and evidence must be of sufficient quality. Photography has a vital role in the decision made in court because the pictures are to represent the scene as it was exactly. Digital SLR single reflex camera is the most often used camera in crime scene investigations.

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