ABSTRACT
A. Scope and Definitions .............................................................................. 3 1. What Is Forensic Science; Who Is a Forensic Scientist? ................. 4 2. The Science in Forensic Science ....................................................... 5
a. What Is Science?......................................................................... 5 b. Science Is Dynamic .................................................................... 6 c. Science Is Durable...................................................................... 7 d. Forensic Science Is an Applied Science .................................... 7
3. Science Lessons from History........................................................... 8 4. Forensic Science and Criminalistics............................................... 10 5. Physical Evidence: From Art to Science......................................... 12
B. Forensic Science and the Law ................................................................ 15 1. What Is the Question?..................................................................... 15
a. Translating the Legal Question into the Scientific Question.................................................................................... 15
b. Physical Evidence and Circumstantial Evidence.................... 17 C. Summary ................................................................................................. 18 References ........................................................................................................ 18
Any profession, discipline, craft, or art may potentially be invited into the judicial arena. As criminal activity and creativity grows, and our society
becomes more litigious, it is not unusual for the court to call upon experts in the most esoteric of pursuits to provide testimony. While acknowledging the diversity of expertise that may impinge on legal matters, we will direct our commentary according to our own area of expertise, the application of the physical sciences to the solution of crime. Even so, there remains a discussion of semantics, intent, and, to no small extent, integration of all the various disciplines that may be called upon in any investigation. Many of the ideas that we present here most certainly apply to areas beyond strict science, if for no other reason than the science must integrate with the greater effort of an investigation. But to begin, we will tackle the classic struggle to define our territory. Even if you do not agree with the following definitions, at least you will be able to read the rest of this book without ambiguity.
