They also explained how investigators and the detectives investigated the Peters car in quadrants where they take a wet swab and then dry swab to find any prints on or int the car. In addition they fumigated the car and wear orange goggles that help them find more prints and evidence that the human eye can't see. All of these scientific investigative evidence procedures can seem to be detrimental to Herring. However, we learned in class that the CSI effect has no meaningful impact between forensic science show viewers and non-viewers when it came to convict or acquit a defendant. Research suggests that the CSI Effect benefits the prosecution is a myth.
The murder case of Leanne Holland exposed the ways in which forensic science were both a help and a hindrance to the conviction and subsequent overturning of the verdict, against Graham Stafford. The body of 12-year-old Leanne Holland was found battered and partially naked in scrub 30m off Redbank Plains Rd on September 26, 1991. She went missing on Monday morning on September 23, 1991. According to descriptions, she was last seen wearing a long-sleeved purple jumper, black skirt and no shoes as she headed towards shops just 500m from her Alice St home in Goodna.
Manufacturing Guilt Wrongful Convictions in Canada, follows the theme of the first edition where the authors demonstrate what leads to wrongful conviction. We all know that innocent mistakes happen however, wrongful convictions are usually the result of deliberate actions of those working in the criminal justice system and not unintended errors. By using Canadian cases as miscarriages of justice, the authors argues that understanding wrongful convictions and how to prevent them is incomplete outside the broader societal context in which they occur, particularly regarding racial and social inequality. This book also analyzes how forensic science is used as a resource for prosecutors rather than seeking the truth. What is miscarriage of justice?
Innocence Project Report on the Case of Curtis Jasper Moore Tommy Warrick Drake University According to the Innocence Project one of the greatest causes of wrongful conviction is due to eyewitness misidentification. They state that 72% of cases where defendants have been exonerated eyewitness misidentification played a role. Even though eyewitness testimony has been proven inaccurate numerous times, it can still be the decisive evidence in a court of law. This is because the law views the human memory as a camcorder which can record and repeat whatever it sees.
Justice Quarterly: JQ, 15(3), 577-581. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from https://bethelu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.bethelu.idm.oclc.org/docview/228157991?accountid=56725 Saferstein, R. (2015). Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science (11th Ed.). Boston: Pearson. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Crime has always been a part of the world we live in. Whether it be theft, murder, or kidnapping, it has been and always will be a huge factor in society. With crime, comes forensics; the “behind the scenes” work in all cases. Forensics is described as “relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes or relating to, used in, or suitable to a court of law” (Crime Museum 1). Dubbed as “The Crime of the Century”, The Lindbergh kidnapping has affected the criminal justice system in more areas than one.
My thoughts Forensic science is used everywhere. It can be used to arrest and convict someone of a crime. Before watching The Real CSI video, I thought using fingerprints and DNA will get you 100% accurate results. Throughout the video my thoughts about the subject began to change.
It is not common for the FBI, a well-known professional bureau, to make mistakes during serious investigations. However, in recent years, the FBI has been mislabeling, misplacing, not returning important evidence, and has had flaws in the process of their DNA analysis that affects multiple incidents. Although, policies exist for safeguarding evidence within the FBI, too often mishandling still occurs, leading to wrongful prosecutions, dismissal of cases, and a weakened reputation for the agency. The FBI’s responsibility is to collect evidence to solve crimes, but to prevent them from occurring in the first place. However, if the prevention of crime, corruption, and terrorism revolves around gathering and protecting evidence, why is mishandling
A number of criminal movies increases every year. There are dozens of films and videos where actors investigate various murders and catch criminals. After watching 21st episode of the seventh season of the "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, I understand that not every case can be solved easily. Unfortunately, I have seen some cases on TV where suspects have not been arrested even though they were guilty. In such cases, FBI agents begin to build their own idea of crime and even put it in the place of crime to think what they would do in the same situation.
The principle in law that one is innocent until proven guilty has created much discourse. There are those who feel that the moment that one is arrested, there is reasonable belief that they committed the crime. However, there are those who feel that just as the principle states, one is, and should be taken as a victim and the outcome could be either way: guilty or not guilty. In fact, this argument is supported by the many cases of malicious prosecutions and mistaken identities.
To be fair, the purpose of most of the crime shows and films is not to convey information or strive for accuracy, but to be entertaining. If the underdog did not win or the victim did not get the happy ending, most viewers would be displeased. Crime is dramatized and romanticized in TV and film to keep the viewer intrigued and watching. One of the most overlooked flaws in crime shows is the logic.
First, the factor that leading innocent people be charged is flawed eyewitness identification. Eyewitness is one of principal evidences that policies are looking because someone has knowledge about the crime. A study of contributing causes of wrongful convictions show us that 72% are eyewitness because of misidentification ( The causes of wrongful conviction, 1). This study demonstrated that eyewitness is the highest in wrongful convictions. For example, in the documentary Mr Stephens was the eyewitness which, it is the strong evidence that Detective Williams used against Butler.
Near Misses and Wrongful Convictions Erroneous convictions are a terrible injustice to those convicted and have the potential to deteriorate the public’s trust in the criminal justice system. An in-depth study was conducted by the National Institute of Justice and discussed by Dr. Jon Gould and John R. Firman during the presentation, “Wrongful Convictions: The Latest Scientific Research and Implications for Law Enforcement”. This study attempts to discover why some cases arrive into the system are near misses—this is an innocent person cleared or acquitted of all charges based on factual evidence—and other cases arrive into the system a different way become wrongful convictions, which these people are also factually innocent, it was just
Furthermore, there can be several factors at play when a wrongful conviction occurs and each case is unique. Three of the more common and detrimental factors that will be explored in this essay are eyewitness error, the use of jailhouse informants and professional and institutional misconduct. Firstly, eyewitness testimony can be a major contributor to a conviction and is an important factor in wrongful conviction (Campbell & Denov, 2016, p. 227). Witness recall and, frankly, the human emory are not as reliable as previously thought. In fact there has been much research showing the problems with eyewitness testimony such as suggestive police interviewing, unconscious transference, and malleability of confidence (Campbell & Denov, 2016, p.227).
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.
