Forensic Science Group

Forensic Science Group is for sale

Forensic evidence and the key role of the forensic scientist

by

Forensic scientists have a very important role in the criminal process: from initial crime scene investigation to forensic laboratory analysis to providing expert forensic statements and culminating in their appearance in court as an expert witness. Forensic scientists do not just perform forensic analyses and report on the results. As expert witnesses they are allowed to provide opinion as well factual evidence in criminal cases. Interpretation of certain factual evidence and opinions relating to it may vary between forensic experts; which is where forensic defence experts come in to the equation. Many will be extremely experienced and long serving forensic scientists who can use their experience and expertise to re-examine the forensic evidence and peer review any statements from the Crown’s experts. Where appropriate, they can offer alternative forensic expert interpretation and opinion and appear in court as an expert witness for the defence.

Forensic science is divided into several disciplines and most forensic scientists who act as expert witnesses will usually specialise in one or two particular disciplines, which is what makes them ‘experts’ rather than just someone with a general knowledge of forensic science as a whole. These forensic disciplines include Forensic Biology and DNA, Forensic chemistry (which includes marks and traces), Forensic Drugs, Forensic Toxicology, Fingerprints, Firearms and ballistics and Road traffic accident investigation. In many serious criminal cases the trial may involve obtaining forensic evidence from forensic scientists in a whole range of forensic disciplines.

To get a better idea of the role of the forensic scientist let us consider a few case scenarios:

Example case – The crime scene of a violent assault/murder where the victim’s body is still at the scene.

At a crime scene of this nature there may be contact trace exchange, such as blood, DNA, hairs, fibres etc. between the victim and their assailant. This will involve a forensic biologist and necessitate forensic DNA analysis as well as fibre analysis, blood pattern analysis and should also include the examination of the victim’s and suspect’s clothing. All of this forensic evidence can then be interpreted by an expert forensic biologist.

There may be blood stains, smears and splashes, all of which if interpreted correctly by an experienced expert forensic biologist can indicate a possible scenario of what took place at the crime scene before and after the victims death.

There may be fingerprints to be lifted and examined by a fingerprint expert and shoeprints to be photographed and compared by a forensic chemistry expert to shoes found on the person or at the home of a suspected assailant.

It may be that it was suspected that the murder occurred after an argument fuelled by drugs and/or alcohol. Blood samples would then be taken at post mortem and sent to the forensic laboratory for forensic analysis for drugs and alcohol by a forensic toxicologist. The results of these analyses would then be interpreted by a forensic toxicology expert.

In a case of this type there could be several expert witness statements: from a forensic biologist, a forensic chemist, a fingerprint expert and a forensic toxicologist. The content of these statements may or may not be pulled together by an overarching statement from the %u2018lead forensic scientist’ in the case.

Example case – The crime scene of a large scale cannabis cultivation run by a serious organised crime group.

Drugs scenes of this nature are invariably ‘forensicated’ by police personnel (PCs and SOCOs – Scenes of Crime officers). Photographs are usually taken, cannabis plant samples are submitted to the forensic laboratory for forensic examination and forensic analysis and then usually the whole scene is dismantled and all the other cannabis plants are disposed of. This makes the job of a forensic drugs scientist quite problematic as they have to make their interpretation of the scene from photographs and the few sample cannabis plants submitted, with the rest of the forensic evidence having been destroyed.

The role of the forensic cannabis cultivation expert is to identify and analyse the cannabis plants submitted and, based on the photographs and police information about the crime scene to give opinions on the conditions under which the cannabis plants were grown and to estimate the potential yields of cannabis which could have been produced at the scene and ultimately sold. As the information available to the forensic drugs expert is limited, opinions of Crown and defence experts about potential yields can often vary and crucially depend on the levels of experience and expertise of the forensic experts involved. Cannabis cultivation on a large scale is usually a carefully controlled process as any deviation from optimum conditions could dramatically affect potential yields and the monetary value of a crop. It is important to assess plant yields properly as sentencing and asset seizure (under the proceeds of crime act) depend on crop value.

Established and experienced forensic drugs experts engaged by the defence may also be able to estimate crop values, based on their long-term knowledge of drugs markets and the different types of cannabis products sold in them. Original crop values are usually estimated by police ‘experts’.

Forensic Equity is a leading forensic science service provider, offering forensic scientists of the highest quality to a range of clients within the criminal justice system.

Understanding the Nature of Work of a Forensic Scientist

by

Many people are hooked to watching TV shows about crime scene investigation. In fact, because of the number of the followers, we can easily find a number of shows with similar theme. The problem is, sometimes, many people tend to believe that what is shown on TV is completely non-fictional. In reality, the nature of work of a real forensic scientist is far more complicated and ‘drama-less’ than those on the television.
Forensic Science has been used for many years to solve the mysteries behind crimes. On TV, one may find a forensic agent who is able to solve the crime in just few days. On the contrary, even with the presence of this type of science, solving a case may take years or even decades. Sadly, some cases are left unsolved as well.
In a particular show, a forensic scientist can easily extract fingerprints and even DNA sample in almost any material. Although this is relatively true, there are also areas or objects where fingerprints cannot be seen. A good example is a rock or any surface that is similar to it. DNA test results are not also obtained easily in real life. It normally takes months before the test is completely tested. DNA testing is not also possible in every lab.
The lifestyle that is also being demonstrated on TV by these experts seems luxurious. They drive beautiful cars and live in beautiful homes. This is not really true because if you work in lab, you will have to acquire years of experience and expertise before you are actually given a high salary. Forensic science can be very interesting. Although the activity is quite the same every day, many people are getting more and more inspired to becoming a forensic agent. It is important to know that in real life, crime investigation is not that easy as portrayed on TV.

Stuart is writing for many websites, He enjoys writing and sharing articles on wide range of topics such as forensic science and what is forensic science. Visit to find more information.

Positive Prospect in Forensic Scientist Employment Outlook

by

A lot of people would just ignore the field of forensic science before the syndicated TV Series CSI came. Before, not many people would want to be forensic experts until the public was oriented on what could be a promising forensic scientist employment outlook.

It is not only an interesting job for anyone who would want to go on forensic investigation; it will also help in the country’s quest in solving all crimes. Aside from that, this job will truly be fascinating and interesting. No matter what your background, you could always fit as long as you have your own expertise.

Forensic investigation is one of the most important police function. In reality, there are just few forensic experts and has to take all the cases. Every time that there is a crime being taken, forensic experts are always called upon to examine the crime scene and at the same time gather evidence.

The task of testing the evidence could be so long and has to go through different process. As a matter of fact, many forensics find it hard to cope with the increasing load especially when crime rates are getting higher every year. In addition to the shortage of labor, there is also a shortage of some field experts who would be able to get a valuable field of expertise in solving the crime.

The Demand for More Forensic Scientist

As the shortage of labor balloons every year, forensic scientist employment outlook would be high for those qualified candidates. For this reason, this is a field that really pays a lot, but no one would care to take the job. In addition to that, forensic investigation is always an interesting field to pursue. You will get a chance to solve some of the most important crimes to be investigated. This will be an opportunity for you to display your wares and make use of your expertise to solve the crime.

Skills Needed For the Job

However, you need to get a lot of skills when you take this course. The first thing you have to achieve is to get certification as being an expert in a certain field of science. Most of the time, it is a favorable field for those who have good background in chemistry, physics, medicine, and psychology. For this reason, forensic scientist employment outlook is high for those who have been experts on those fields and got a lot of working experience and exposure in the said fields.

Propane Tankless Water Heater

and

Disney Baby Bedding

Deciding On A Forensic Scientist Degree For You

by

Thanks to modern television, everyone knows what a criminalist does. Or at least, they think they do. The reality can be a little bit different, and one place where it differs is that there are many types of forensic scientists, each with their own type of forensic scientist degree. A few programs in the specialty do exist now, but are not always recommended for a variety of reasons.

There are six major areas of training for criminalists. Medical examiners, dentists, and forensic anthropologists make up one part, laboratory technicians, technical analysts, crime scene analysts, forensic engineers, and academics in the fields of the social scientists make up the others. Sometimes a person will work within multiple categories, but usually a separate degree is best for each.

Medical examiners are, of course, doctors. They must have a four year undergraduate degree, then complete four years of medical school, and finally complete a residency in some form of medicine that offers exposure to forensics. Besides the extended period of training required, medical examiners must be able to work with dead bodies every day.

Analysts who work in the lab work in one of two fields. Lab technicians generally have chemistry degrees, including chemical engineering or biochemistry, while technical analysts might have computer science degrees. Their jobs are to analyze the evidence that investigators bring in from the scene, and supply information about it. The jobs can be dull on occasion, but offer regular hours and little danger.

Those investigators who actually go out to the scene of a crime and collect evidence are called crime scene analysts or crime scene investigators. A bachelor’s degree with a focus in a natural science and an area of concentration in criminal justice or law is generally required. Forensic engineers are responsible for interpreting the engineering evidence related to a crime, such as when buildings are damaged by the commission of a crime. These investigators have engineering degrees.

Academic experts for law enforcement can come from consultation with experts in the fields of anthropology, sociology and psychology, or occasionally, from those employed full time in the field. Most academics who offer advice to law enforcement are not full-time employees, however, and the situation is the same with dentists whose expertise is called upon from time to time. Insufficient funding typically prevents the full-time employment of these experts by law enforcement agencies.

Sometimes, psychological profilers are employed full time by a law enforcement agency, working as crime scene investigators. Then, their talents can be called on when needed, while they can be useful in other areas as well. These individuals usually have degrees in criminology and psychology, either a double major or one undergraduate and one graduate degree. These jobs are rare, however, and the minimum training is often not enough to snag one.

While working in forensics can successfully marry the right person’s love of science and justice, the jobs are not often like what is portrayed on television. It’s a good idea to make sure that you know what your future profession would really entail, before embarking on a specialized degree. And while programs that offer a forensic scientist degree do exist now, they are not as good as some other majors for keeping your options open. There are not always jobs available, and degrees in forensics are not that transferable, while chemistry degrees, for example, are.

A forensic scientist degree can assist you to study for a career in law enforcement or police work. Earn a forensic scientist associate degree online or at your local community college.

The Rewards of a Forensic Scientist Career

by

There is no doubt that forensic scientist careers are a lot of fun, stable, existing and it is also a known fact that opportunities with regard to this field are only growing. Although there has been a terrible downfall in the economy of the world, forensic scientists have definitely managed to find a lot of success. This is an exciting field which offers many opportunities.

If you are looking to pursue a career in this field you need to be sure of doing the right thing to get there.

First things first, it is necessary to get a degree in order to find a suitable job in the field of forensic science. It is possible to get a degree possible anywhere, although it is very suitable for one to attend a traditional college for the same such as going to a university. It is also possible for one to get a degree by considering online education and sometimes this maybe the best option. Through this method it is possible to take classes sitting at home and do this according to your schedule, this way the fee is also considerably lesser. The best part is employers do not differentiate between the non traditional and traditional education at all. The kind of jobs achieved through a degree in forensic science are too many, the forensic scientist careers are extremely varied. The traditional duties and jobs of a forensic scientist may include:

* Examination and finding fingerprints by being a fingerprint technician

* Analyzing the DNA data

* Performing autopsies by being an autopsy specialist

* Supervision of a forensic scientist team

* Finding the firearm discharge or otherwise ballistics reporting.

There have been many television shows portraying forensic scientist and thus making many people thing that there is just a single title for such scientists. As a matter of fact, the people who work in the forensic departments tend to have many titles as well as wear different hats such as

* Forensic Psychiatry

* Forensic Dentistry

* Forensic Toxicology

* Forensic Pathology

To sum it all up, it is just as simple to conclude that forensic scientist careers are many and easily available. If you are looking to establish a career or even remake your existing career you need to ensure that you investigate all the jobs in connection to forensic jobs and hence the opportunities are easily available such as kick starting a career through a traditional college setting or through online education.

 

 

Recent Posts