Main |
Campus | Library |
Bookstore | Resources | Consultation |
New |
Contact | Search
Online
Courses
in Criminal Profiling & Forensic Science: READ
OUR CATALOG & REGISTER
TODAY!
What
is a forensic scientist?
A forensic
scientist examines physical evidence and then testifies about the results of
their examination in court. They are in fact defined by the expectation that they may
give expert testimony about their examinations and further provide
interpretations or opinions regarding the results. As explained in Thornton (1997):
"Forensic"
comes to us from the Latin forensus, meaning "of the forum."
In Ancient Rome, the forum was where governmental debates were held, but it
was also where trials were held. It was the courthouse. So forensic science
has come to mean the application of the natural and physical sciences to the
resolution of conflicts within a legal setting.
...
The
single feature that distinguishes forensic scientists from any other scientist
is the certain expectation that they will appear in court and testify to their
findings and offer an opinion as to the significance of those findings. The
forensic scientist will testify not only to what things are, but to what things
mean. Forensic science is science exercised on behalf of the law in the just
resolution of conflict.
A true
forensic scientist is not a policeman, nor are they partial about the outcome of
their examinations. They are objective investigators of fact. Subsequently, a
forensic scientist may work in a state run crime lab, but many work in private
practice.
There are different kinds of physical evidence, and subsequently
there are different kinds of forensic scientists, all variously educated
and trained.
The Austrian
Jurist Dr. Hans Gross (born Johann Baptist Gustav Gross, 1847-1915), was one of
the earliest forensic scientists of modern record. In his ground-breaking text, System
Der Kriminalistik (aka Criminal Investigation) published in 1893, he is widely
credited with coining the term "criminalistics". Dr. Gross is also
widely regarded as the grandfather of modern criminalistics. A criminalist, by
his usage, would have been one who studies crime, criminals, and the scientific
methods of their identification, apprehension, and prosecution.
In modern
use, the scope of the term criminalist has been greatly narrowed. It now
refers only a particular kind of forensic scientist who, according to the American Board of
Criminalists (ABC), specializes in one or more of the following areas:
·
Forensic Biology (serology and/or DNA)
·
Drug Analysis
·
Fire Debris Analysis
·
Trace Evidence (hairs, fibers, paints, & polymers)
A
criminalist may or may not be board certified by the ABC. They may also be
trained in crime reconstruction related to their areas of specialized knowledge,
though this is not always the case. Some may visit crime scenes on a regular
basis, and some may never leave their lab station. Most modern criminalists will have a four-year
degree of some kind, likely in a hard science like chemistry or biology.
However, there are plenty of exceptions. Every lab and agency has their own unique policies and procedures
about such things.
A forensic
generalist is a particular kind of forensic scientist who is broadly trained
in a variety of forensic specialties. They are big picture people who can help
reconstruct a crime from work performed with the assistance of other forensic
scientists, and then direct investigators to forensic specialists as needed.
They can also make for good crime lab administrators or directors. According to DeForest,
Gaensslen, & Lee (1983, p.17):
Because
of the depth and complexity of criminalistics, the need for specialists in
inescapable. There can be serious problems, however, with overspecialization.
Persons who have a working knowledge of a broad range of criminalistics
problems and techniques are also necessary. These people are called
generalists. The value of generalists lies in their ability to look at all of
the aspects of a complex case and decide what needs to be done, which
specialists should be involved, and in which order to carry out the required
examinations.
The
generalist typically has broad education and training in the major forensic
sciences, and will often have a master’s or doctorate level education.
A related profession is that of evidence technician.
An evidence
technician (aka crime scene technician) is charged with the
recognition, documentation, collection, and preservation physical
evidence. Sometimes, they even have training, though this is not necessarily the
case. A full time evidence technician is typically not a forensic scientist,
and is not necessarily qualified to examine forensic evidence and interpret its meaning.
Evidence technicians may be attached to the police department, the crime lab, or the medical
examiners office. They are not necessarily sworn police officers, though they
can be. It is common for technicians not to have
attended a four-year degree program at a college or university. Some have two
year associates degrees, and still others have only on the job training with a
high-school diploma or GED. In many jurisdictions, police officers must do this work themselves with
little or no forensic training, for lack of specialized assistance.
For those
who wish to pursue a serious interest forensic science, beyond the headlines and
the hype, Forensic Solutions recommends the following resources:
This site is
designed and produced by Forensic
Solutions LLC
© 2004 - 2005 Forensic Solutions LLC; All rights reserved.
Last update: 02/09/05
