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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:09 pm
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Results for forensic evidence
7 results foundAuthor: Peterson, Joseph Title: The Role and Impact of Forensic Evidence in the Criminal Justice Process Summary: Over the past twenty-five years, the forensic sciences have made dramatic scientific breakthroughs (DNA typing, physical evidence databases, and new scientific instrumentation) but studies are needed to assess the contribution of such advancements on the role and impact of scientific evidence in criminal case processing. Targeted studies have evaluated the value of DNA evidence in property crime investigations, but no studies have reviewed the full array of scientific evidence present at crime scenes. In 2006, the National Institute of Justice funded this project to address the following four goals: Objective 1 — Estimate the percentage of crime scenes from which one or more types of forensic evidence is collected; Objective 2 — Describe and catalog the kinds of forensic evidence collected at crime scenes; Objective 3 — Track the use and attrition of forensic evidence in the criminal justice system from crime scenes through laboratory analysis, and then through subsequent criminal justice processes; and Objective 4 — Identify which forms of forensic evidence contribute most frequently (relative to their availability at a crime scene) to successful case outcomes. Details: Los Angeles: California State University - Los Angeles, School of Criminal Justice & Criminalistics, 2010. 151p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2011 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231977.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231977.pdf Shelf Number: 122920 Keywords: Criminal EvidenceCriminal InvestigationsForensic EvidenceForensic Science |
Author: U.S. President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Title: Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods Summary: "Forensic science" refers to the application of scientific or technical practices to the recognition, collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence for criminal and civil law or regulatory issues. Developments over the past two decades-including wrongful convictions in which forensic science has played a role and scientific studies of forensic science methods-have called increasing attention to the question of the scientific validity and reliability of some important forms of forensic evidence and of testimony based upon them. The study that led to the report was a response to the President's question to his PCAST in 2015, as to whether there are additional steps on the scientific side, beyond those already taken by the Administration in the aftermath of a highly critical 2009 National Research Council report on the state of the forensic sciences, that could help ensure the validity of forensic evidence used in the Nation's legal system. PCAST concluded that two important gaps warranted the group's attention: (1) the need for clarity about the scientific standards for the validity and reliability of forensic methods and (2) the need to evaluate specific forensic methods to determine whether they have been scientifically established to be valid and reliable. The study aimed to help close these gaps for a number of forensic "feature-comparison", methods-specifically, methods for comparing DNA samples, bitemarks, latent fingerprints, firearm marks, footwear, and hair. In the course of its year-long study, PCAST compiled and reviewed a set of more than 2,000 papers from various sources, educated itself on factual matters relating to the interaction between science and the law, and obtained input from forensic scientists and practitioners, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, academic researchers, criminal-justice-reform advocates, and representatives of Federal agencies. The report released today discusses the role of scientific validity within the legal system; explains the criteria by which the scientific validity of forensic methods can be judged; applies those criteria to the forensic feature-comparison methods mentioned above; and offers recommendations on Federal actions that could be taken to strengthen forensic science and promote its rigorous use in the courtroom. The recommendations-which are directed at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory, the Attorney General, and the judiciary-include the following: NIST should perform evaluations, on an ongoing basis, of the scientific validity of current and newly developed forensic feature-matching technologies and should issue an annual public report on the results. NIST should take a leadership role in transforming three important feature-comparison methods - DNA analysis of complex mixtures, latent-fingerprint analysis, and firearms analysis - from currently subjective methods, with their heavy reliance on human judgement, into objective methods, in which standardized, quantifiable processes require little or no judgment. OSTP should coordinate the creation of a national forensic science research and development strategy. The FBI Laboratory should undertake a vigorous research program to improve forensic science, building on its recent important work on latent-fingerprint analysis. The Attorney General should direct attorneys appearing on behalf of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure expert testimony in court about forensic feature-comparison methods meets the standards of scientific validity. The Attorney General should revise and reissue for public comment the DOJ proposed "Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports" and supporting documents to bring them into alignment with standards for scientific validity. When deciding the admissibility of expert testimony, Federal judges should take into account the appropriate scientific criteria for assessing scientific validity. PCAST believes the findings and recommendations will be of use both to the judiciary and to those working to strengthen forensic science. Details: Washington, DC: The Council, 2016. 174p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26, 2016 at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/PCAST/pcast_forensic_science_report_final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/PCAST/pcast_forensic_science_report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 140456 Keywords: Criminal CourtCriminal EvidenceForensic EvidenceForensic ScienceForensic Science Evidence |
Author: Ritter, Nancy Title: Down the Road: Testing Evidence in Sexual Assaults Summary: A few years ago, NIJ published The Road Ahead: Unanalyzed Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases, a special report that explored the issue of untested sexual assault kits that were stored in law enforcement evidence facilities around the nation. Since then, we have learned a lot about the role of testing biological evidence in solving sexual assaults. This report, Down the Road: Testing Evidence in Sexual Assaults, discusses the results of recent studies supported by NIJ. Through scientific research, we have gained greater understanding that: Although a sexual assault kit (SAK) may contain biological evidence - more than two-thirds of the cases in two recent studies did - there can be other important physical evidence that is not stored with the SAK, such as bedding, toxicology reports, or weapons. - One kit does not equal one biological sample: In an ongoing SAK-testing partnership between NIJ and the FBI, for example, 597 kits (tested as of October 2015) contained 8,694 discreet biological samples; therefore, when speaking about the "number" of SAKs, it is important to keep in mind that each kit likely contains many separate pieces of evidence that could be tested to determine the identity of a suspect. - Although testing SAK evidence may lead to the identification of a suspect, evidence of serial rapes, or the exoneration of a wrongly convicted person, it is only one part of the investigative process. Testing may not result in a new lead if, for example, the identity of the suspect is already known or there is not enough biological evidence in the kit to yield a DNA profile. Some of the most recent scientific findings about the role of evidence testing in sexual assaults come from two major NIJ-supported projects. After a competitive solicitation process, NIJ awarded research grants in 2011 to the Houston Police Department (HPD) and the Wayne County (Detroit), Michigan, Prosecutor's Office to form multidisciplinary teams to examine the issue of unsubmitted SAKs in their jurisdictions. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 2016. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249805.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249805.pdf Shelf Number: 140505 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationForensic EvidenceRapeSexual Assaults |
Author: Cross, Theodore Title: Injury Evidence, Biological Evidence, and Prosecution of Sexual Assault Summary: Injury evidence and biological evidence gained from forensic medical examinations of victims can provide evidence about the crime as well as the means of linking a suspect to the crime. Evidence from a forensic medical examination can include genital and non-genital injuries, biological evidence (including sperm or semen, blood, and amylase, an enzyme of saliva), and a DNA profile that can often be derived from the biological evidence. This DNA can be matched to a potential suspect, matched to another investigation in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), or matched to a convicted offender in CODIS. Injury evidence can be used to establish a victim's lack of consent and could lead to physical assault charges. This project explored the use and impact of injury evidence and biological evidence through a study of the role of these forms of evidence in prosecuting sexual assault in an urban district attorney's office in a metropolitan area in the eastern United States. The research questions addressed in this summary overview are as follows: - How frequent were different forms of injury evidence and biological evidence in the sample? - Is the presence of injury evidence and biological evidence correlated with the presence of other forms of evidence? - Which types of cases and case circumstances are more likely to yield injury evidence and biological evidence? - Do the presence of injury evidence and biological evidence predict criminal justice outcomes, taking into account the effects of other predictors? - In what ways do prosecutors use injury evidence and biological evidence and what is their appraisal of their impact on case outcomes? Details: Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251036.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251036.pdf Shelf Number: 147400 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationEvidenceForensic EvidenceRapeSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: Schroeder, David A. Title: The Impact of Forensic Evidence on Arrest and Prosecution Summary: The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant solicitation, Social Science Research on Forensic Science (NIJ-2011-2822), was heavily reliant on the NIJ study, The Role and Impact of Forensic Evidence in the Criminal Justice Process (Peterson, Sommers, Baskin, and Johnson, 2010). The objectives of Peterson et al., (2010) were to 1) "Estimate the percentage of crime scenes from which one or more types of forensic evidence is collected;" 2) "Describe and catalog the kinds of forensic evidence collected at crime scenes;" 3) "Track the use and attrition of forensic evidence in the criminal justice system from crime scenes through laboratory analysis, and then through subsequent criminal justice processes;" 4) "Identify which forms of forensic evidence contribute most frequently (relative to their availability at a crime scene) to successful case outcomes" (Peterson et al. 2010, Pg. 11-12). Peterson, et al. (2010) analyzed crime lab, investigative, and prosecutorial case file information of crimes that fit into one of five crime categories: assault; burglary; homicide; rape; and robbery. Peterson et al. (2010) concluded their analysis by making ten recommendations regarding future research on the utility of forensic evidence. The current study, The Impact of Forensic Evidence on Arrest and Prosecution, addressed several of these recommendations via a methodology that informs the four research objectives listed above. The first Peterson et al. (2010) recommendation is generally related to simple replication - refining and performing a similar analysis in another jurisdiction. This study addressed this recommendation by mimicking the methodology used by Peterson et al. (2010). Variables, crime categories, sample size, and analytical models were all borrowed from Peterson et al. (2010). Another recommendation of the Peterson et al. (2010) makes clear the need for a more detailed assessment of how the mere existence of available forensic evidence affects the arrest and prosecution of offenders. A major finding of Peterson et al. (2010) stated most evidence goes unexamined, but its presence in cases was associated with arrest and movement of cases through the justice process. As forensic evidence moves through the criminal justice system, less and less evidence makes it to the next stage. This movement resembles a funnel or an inverted pyramid (Peterson, 1974). Added studies are needed to review how unexamined forensic and tangible evidence teams with other conventional investigative procedures to lead to arrests (page 9). The same phenomenon has also been discovered in another recent analysis of the use of one type of forensic evidence, namely DNA. Schroeder (2007) discovered that among his sample of homicide cases from the City of New York (1996 - 2003) the group of cases that had the highest clearance rate was the group in which evidence for DNA analysis was collected from the scene but never analyzed. There are three general areas of explanation for why unexamined evidence is associated with higher clearance rates. First, the collection of forensic evidence from crime scenes has become so commonplace that its collection is not contingent upon the needs of the investigation, but simply a matter of protocol. Therefore, when cases present non-forensic evidence (e.g. suspect interrogations, witness statements and identifications) sufficient to advance the case through the system the byproduct is a great deal of collected, but unanalyzed forensic evidence. Second, the analysis of forensic evidence is so time-consuming as to influence its utility. Details: New Haven, CT: University of New Haven, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, 2017. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 2, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250721.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250721.pdf Shelf Number: 147524 Keywords: Criminal EvidenceDNA TypingEvidenceForensic Evidence |
Author: Morgan, Anthony Title: Impact of ballistic evidence on criminal investigations Summary: The challenges associated with investigating serious crime, particularly organised crime, are well known. Increasingly, police are turning to new information technologies to support traditional investigative techniques. Automated ballistic information technology allows police to link cases that would otherwise not be known to be related. By linking investigations, police can identify new leads and suspects. The current study used interviews with investigators in two states to understand what impact ballistic evidence has on criminal investigations into firearm crime. The results revealed a significant number of cases benefited from linked investigations- including cold cases and cases involving organized crime groups. This research helps to demonstrate the potential value of technology to law enforcement, and the circumstances in which it is most effective. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 548: Accessed May 23, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi548 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi548 Shelf Number: 150330 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationsFirearmsForensic EvidenceGun ViolenceGuns-Related ViolenceHomicidesOrganized Crime |
Author: Cross, Theodore Title: Forensic Evidence and Criminal Justice Outcomes in a Statewide Sample of Sexual Assault Cases Summary: Sexual assault is a heinous crime that as much as a quarter of women nationally experience in their lifetime. Not only do victims suffer the terror and degradation of the assault, but they are further at risk of injury and a range of difficulties with mental health and functioning. Survivors are also at risk of re-victimization from informal and professional responses that question their credibility and in effect blame them for the assault. Only a small proportion of sexual assaults are prosecuted; only a subset of assaults are reported to police, only a portion of those cases reported to police result in arrest, and only small percentage of those arrested are ultimately prosecuted. When prosecution does ensue, enormous demands are placed on victims; they must testify in court about the traumatic events of the crime and face assaults on their credibility both in and outside the courtroom. In this difficult context, investigative methods that increase evidence against assailants while decreasing the burden on victims are especially important, and advances in the technology and expertise of collecting and analyzing injury and forensic evidence offer promise. Victims undergo difficult forensic medical examinations with the hope of contributing evidence that can help bring assailants to justice. The research community has a responsibility to develop a better understanding of how this information is used and actually relates to criminal justice actions. This study explores the role of injury evidence and forensic evidence in sexual assault cases using data from medical providers, crime laboratories and police. The study: - Examines the frequency of injury and biological evidence in sexual assault cases; - Identifies case factors associated with the presence of injury and biological evidence; - Analyzes how often biological evidence is processed prior to versus after arrest; - Explores how injury and biological evidence as well as other factors are related to arrest; and - Examines results for key comparisons thought to be salient for forensic evidence: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners vs. other medical examiners; strangers vs. known suspects; child victims vs. adults and adolescents. Details: Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 2014. 220p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2018 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248254.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248254.pdf Shelf Number: 150411 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationEvidenceForensic EvidenceRapeSex OffendersSexual Assault |