SUPA Forensics Midterm Review - Chapter
1-9 UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
What are the 3 main functions of a Forensic Scientist? - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Analyze
evidence
2) Testify in court
3) Train police to recognize, collect and preserve evidence.
Expert Witness - CORRECT ANSWER Individual whom the court determines possesses
relevant knowledge to the trial --> KHUMO TIRE CASE
KHUMO TIRE CASE - CORRECT ANSWER set forth that an expert witness can be
anyone who is an expert in any field --> called to evaluate evidence based on specialized training
an experience that the court lacks
Why do Forensic Scientists needed to appear in court? - CORRECT ANSWER because of
the Melendez-Diaz case
Melendez-Diaz V Mass. - CORRECT ANSWER Cocaine was seized by the police and
was submitted bu them as physical evidence. It was said that it required the forensic analysts to
testify in person - but the court went against them
FRYE V. US - CORRECT ANSWER set guidelines for determining the admissibility of
scientific evidence in the courtroom
--> to meet the Frye standard, the evidence must be "generally accepted" by the scientific
community
--> Daubert V. Merrel Dow
,Daubert V. Merrell Dow - CORRECT ANSWER said the Frye standard is NOT and
absolute pre-requisite for the admissibility of scientific evidence
Judges were said to be the "GATE KEEPERS" for the admissibility and validity of scientific
evidence, as well as expert testimony
How could a judge gauge scientific evidence? - CORRECT ANSWER 1. whether the
evidence was tested yet
2. whether the technique/theory has been subject to peer review/publication
3.What the rate of error for the case?
4.Existence and maintenance of standards controlling the techniques operation
5. Whether or not it has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community
Law enforcement communities augment the services of the crime lab including: - CORRECT
ANSWER Forensic Psychiatry
forensic odontology (teeth)
computer science
forensic engineering
Computer science - CORRECT ANSWER examination of digital evidence
Computer Engineering - CORRECT ANSWER Concerned with failure analysis, accidence
reconstruction, and causes/origins of fires or explosions
Lab Technicians - CORRECT ANSWER trained by the crime lab staff on 24 hour call for
EVIDENCE COLLECTION at crime scenes
Why is training important? - CORRECT ANSWER it ensures that all pertinent evidence
will be recognized and collected properly
, --> at least*, familiarity is very important, especially if gained through lectures, tours, of the lab,
and evidence collection of manuals
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - CORRECT ANSWER created Sherlock Holmes
Bertillon - CORRECT ANSWER Body measurements - came up with the first scientific
system of personal identification
Galton - CORRECT ANSWER Fingerprints --> realized body measurements wouldn't
work
Lattes - CORRECT ANSWER Blood --> Developed a procedure to determine blood type
from dried bloodstains
Who discovered that blood has different antigens in blood cells and can help in a criminal court
by analyzing blood type? - CORRECT ANSWER Lattes
Goddard - CORRECT ANSWER used a comparison microscope to determine if a
particular gun fired a bullet
Osborn - CORRECT ANSWER Document examination
Locard - CORRECT ANSWER LOCARD'S EXCHANGE PRINCIPLE --> used Gross'
principles in crime labs and then came up with his own
--> cross exchange of evidence when two things come into contact
What's the most important pre requisite for photographing the crime scene? - CORRECT
ANSWER For it to be unaltered
1-9 UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
What are the 3 main functions of a Forensic Scientist? - CORRECT ANSWER 1) Analyze
evidence
2) Testify in court
3) Train police to recognize, collect and preserve evidence.
Expert Witness - CORRECT ANSWER Individual whom the court determines possesses
relevant knowledge to the trial --> KHUMO TIRE CASE
KHUMO TIRE CASE - CORRECT ANSWER set forth that an expert witness can be
anyone who is an expert in any field --> called to evaluate evidence based on specialized training
an experience that the court lacks
Why do Forensic Scientists needed to appear in court? - CORRECT ANSWER because of
the Melendez-Diaz case
Melendez-Diaz V Mass. - CORRECT ANSWER Cocaine was seized by the police and
was submitted bu them as physical evidence. It was said that it required the forensic analysts to
testify in person - but the court went against them
FRYE V. US - CORRECT ANSWER set guidelines for determining the admissibility of
scientific evidence in the courtroom
--> to meet the Frye standard, the evidence must be "generally accepted" by the scientific
community
--> Daubert V. Merrel Dow
,Daubert V. Merrell Dow - CORRECT ANSWER said the Frye standard is NOT and
absolute pre-requisite for the admissibility of scientific evidence
Judges were said to be the "GATE KEEPERS" for the admissibility and validity of scientific
evidence, as well as expert testimony
How could a judge gauge scientific evidence? - CORRECT ANSWER 1. whether the
evidence was tested yet
2. whether the technique/theory has been subject to peer review/publication
3.What the rate of error for the case?
4.Existence and maintenance of standards controlling the techniques operation
5. Whether or not it has attracted widespread acceptance within a relevant scientific community
Law enforcement communities augment the services of the crime lab including: - CORRECT
ANSWER Forensic Psychiatry
forensic odontology (teeth)
computer science
forensic engineering
Computer science - CORRECT ANSWER examination of digital evidence
Computer Engineering - CORRECT ANSWER Concerned with failure analysis, accidence
reconstruction, and causes/origins of fires or explosions
Lab Technicians - CORRECT ANSWER trained by the crime lab staff on 24 hour call for
EVIDENCE COLLECTION at crime scenes
Why is training important? - CORRECT ANSWER it ensures that all pertinent evidence
will be recognized and collected properly
, --> at least*, familiarity is very important, especially if gained through lectures, tours, of the lab,
and evidence collection of manuals
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - CORRECT ANSWER created Sherlock Holmes
Bertillon - CORRECT ANSWER Body measurements - came up with the first scientific
system of personal identification
Galton - CORRECT ANSWER Fingerprints --> realized body measurements wouldn't
work
Lattes - CORRECT ANSWER Blood --> Developed a procedure to determine blood type
from dried bloodstains
Who discovered that blood has different antigens in blood cells and can help in a criminal court
by analyzing blood type? - CORRECT ANSWER Lattes
Goddard - CORRECT ANSWER used a comparison microscope to determine if a
particular gun fired a bullet
Osborn - CORRECT ANSWER Document examination
Locard - CORRECT ANSWER LOCARD'S EXCHANGE PRINCIPLE --> used Gross'
principles in crime labs and then came up with his own
--> cross exchange of evidence when two things come into contact
What's the most important pre requisite for photographing the crime scene? - CORRECT
ANSWER For it to be unaltered
