Study Guide for the Comprehensive Criminalistics Certification Examination

Alexis & Matt 2023

Timeline
 44 BC: First autopsy ever performed (discovered COD for Julius Caesar).
 400: German/Slavic societies made law that medical experts determine COD
 600: Arabic merchants used to match fingerprints to debtors
 1248: Chinese publish first forensic science manual
 1600: First pathology report published
 1784: First physical evidence used in a criminal case (England)
 1836: German poison investigation (arsenic detection available)
 1854: First photos used in criminal identification
 1880: Fingerprints used in a criminal court
 1887: Sherlock Holmes published (Arthur Conan Doyle)
 1888: Anthropometry
 1901: Human blood grouping discovered (ABO) & Blood stain analysis began
 1910: First study on hair and recognizing the ability for microscopic comparison
 1912: Gun markings are discovered to leave individual grooves and marks
 1923: First police crime lab established (LA)
 1932: FBI established crime lab
 1960: Voices used as evidence
 1974: Gunshot residue detection capability
 1984: DNA technique for unique identification
 1996: DNA evidence determined as reliable for criminal law
 2007: Footwear detection system
 2008: Fingerprint detection after cleaning
 2011: Facial sketched matched to photos
 2011: Japan develops a dental x-ray matching system

Significant Figures
 Hans Gross
o The first work to suggest that other fields of science be integrated into police work in order to aid
crime detection. Created a handbook to do such.
 Mathieu Orfila
o Father of modern toxicology. Developed a highly sensitive test for the presence of arsenic.
 Purkinje & Galton
o Fingerprinting was created by Galton, and then used by Purkinje for forensics.
 Edmond Locard
o Father of modern forensics. The Locard Exchange Principle states that a criminal leaves a trace
of him/herself behind. Started the first police laboratory.
 Goddard
o Started forensic ballistics and had the first independent lab devoted to criminology.
 J. Edgar Hoover
o Created a database of essential information about organized crime that is now used in modern
forensic laboratories.
 Jeffreys & Koff
o Jeffrey was the father of DNA "fingerprinting" and Koff did work in forensic anthropology.
 Paul Kirk
o Specialized in microscopy during the Manhattan Project and created analysis techniques for
blood splatter evidence.
 Landsteiner
o Discovered the human blood groups (ABO) in 1901
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 Diester Richter
o Adapted the use of human blood groups to use bloodstains as forensic evidence during the early
1900s.
 Victor Balthazar
o Gun mark matching
 John Larson
o Prototype polygraph
 Karol Landsteiner
o Discovered blood types in an ABO system.
 Leon Lattes
o Determined a blood type in the case of bloodstains.

On Site Protocol
1. Securing
2. Isolating
3. Recording
4. Searching
5. Recognition of evidentiary value
6. Safety
Evidence Collection & Packaging
Obtain it legally!
 Must have permission from the court or police must have had reasonable suspicion that someone was at
harm.
Describe the evidence in detailed notes.
o Location of where evidence is found.
 Describe, Picture, & Draw
 Include coordinates if possible & hard point references.
o Date-Time group on all pages of notes & evidence bags
o Include name/Initials on all note pages and over the seal of evidence bags.
o Any notes of information or questions related to the evidence found may be of use later.
Identify accurately and positively to better inform collection.
o Classes of Evidence
 Exclusionary evidence
 Prevents the government from using most evidence gathered in violation of the United States
Constitution.
 Identification
 Evidence which identifies a particular person as a perpetrator of an offense.
 DNA, fingerprints, footprints, ear impressions, voice recordings, facial features, etc.
 Direct vs. indirect evidence
 Direct proof of a fact, such as testimony by a witness about what that witness personally saw
or heard or did.
 Indirect is known as circumstantial and is proof of one or more facts from which one can find
another fact.
 Tangible vs. latent evidence
 Tangible evidence includes:
 physical objects
 mechanical or 'machine-made' representations
 photographs, x-rays, videotapes, movies, and sound recordings
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 man-made' representations
 maps, diagrams, drawings, models, demonstrations, and reconstructions
 testimony aids
 charts, boards, slides, vue graphs, and illustrative sketches
 documentary evidence
 all forms of paper records
 Latent is an impression of the friction skin of the fingers or palms of the hands that has been
transferred to another surface.
o Collection
 Collect DNA samples before powdering or use single use brushes and sterile powder.
 Clean tools between samples. For example, dip forceps in a fresh 10% bleach solution of 10:1 water
to bleach and thoroughly dry prior to reuse.
 When it is not possible to thoroughly dry the item, packaging such as paper bags will allow the
drying process to continue.
Package it properly for identification, storage, and shipment to the lab
o Package evidence and seal the container to protect it from loss, cross transfer, contamination and/or
deleterious change.
o Package unloaded firearms in clean, unused boxes when submitting them for analysis.
o Evidence submitted for arson testing must be properly packaged in a coated aluminum can. Size of the
can should be proportional to the size of the sample. Cans should be sealed with the lid, and then sealed
with evidence tape.
o Use paper bags, envelopes, boxes and similar materials for all biological evidence. Always package
tubes of blood separately from any other evidence items in a crush proof container and store in a
refrigerated state.
o Known samples can be collected by rubbing sterile swabs against the cheek, inside the mouth. Air-dry
and package in a swab container or paper envelope/bag.
o Swabs from non biological contaminants can be stored in a plastic bag.
o Ensure that all swabs and evidence are dry.
o Evidence items which have not been processed for prints, should not be packaged in plastic. Cardboard
boxes work well for packaging items for fingerprint exams.
o Syringes and other sharps should be submitted in a hard-sided container such as a sealable plastic tube.
o Sexual Assault kits should not be packaged with other items. The kit is considered the most probative
item of evidence in a sexual assault case and will be examined first. Additional items collected in a
sexual assault case will be tested secondary to the kit.
o Mark each package with a detailed description that includes the item, location where it was collected,
name of the person who collected it and date of collection.
o Seal each package with tape. (staples are not considered a proper seal.) All seals must be marked to
identify the person making the seal. Mark through the seal with name or initials and date.
Establish/Maintain proper chain of custody
o Storage
 Biological evidence that cannot feasibly be dried should be stored frozen. However, items returned
to the law enforcement governmental evidence-retention entity after laboratory analysis that are no
longer frozen may be stored as dry material in a designated property room with little fluctuation in
temperature and humidity. Whole blood should be spotted onto sterile cloth, bloodstain card paper,
or FTA paper by laboratory personnel for storage at room temperature.
 Packages from the same case should be stored in the fewest number of containers using boxes or
large bags, with care taken to avoid contamination of evidence. For both storage and retention, boxes
provide the most efficient use of space.

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 Some items of evidence containing biological evidence may be too large to reasonably store,
especially for long periods of time. For items such as vehicles, mattresses, and other large items, it
may be appropriate to photograph the item, clearly showing the location of the biological evidence,
and then cut and remove the portion containing the biological material for testing and storage.
o Destruction
 Unsolved: for not less than 40 years, or until the applicable statute of limitations has expired, if there
is an unapprehend actor associated with the offense.
 Convictions: In a case in which a defendant has been convicted placed on deferred adjudication
community supervision, or adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct and there are no
additional un-apprehended actors associated with the offense:
 until the inmate is executed, dies, or is released on parole, if the defendant is convicted of a
capital felony.
 until the defendant dies, completes the defendant's sentence, or is released on parole or
mandatory supervision, if the defendant is sentenced to a term of confinement or
imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Forensic Biology
 Identifies the presence of bodily fluids
 DNA can be extrapolated to connect an individual to the crime scene.
 Blood type, gender, and other characteristics can be found to shrink the pool of potential matches.
 Kastle–Meyer (KM), Benzidine, and Lumino tests are used to identify and find blood.
 Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
o DNA is the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning
of organisms. The composition is such that it is composed of two strands that are in the
shape of a double helix.
o Pyrimidines: Cytosine & Thymine
o Purine: Guanine & Adenine (RNA=thymine instead of adenine)
o 1869: Miescher isolated DNA within a nucleus of a cell (DNA)
o 1953: genetic replication concept via Watson & Crick
 Cell Structure
o Mitochondria
 Biochemical processes of respiration and energy (ATP) production (oxidative
phosphorylation) occur. They have a double membrane with the inner layers folded
inward to form layers known as the cristae.
o Lysosome
 Membrane-bound organelle that contains digestive enzymes. They are used to
destroy invading viruses and bacteria.
o Centrioles
 A minute cylindrical organelle near the nucleus in animal cells, occurring in pairs
and involved in the development of spindle fibers in cell division.
o Microtubules
 Components of the cell skeleton which determines the shape of a cell; involved in
different functions including the assembly of mitotic spindle, in dividing cells, or
axon extension, in neurons.
o Golgi apparatus
 A factory in which proteins and lipids received from the ER are processed, modified,
packaged, and sorted for transport to their eventual destinations.

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o Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
 Synthesizes lipids, phospholipids (like plasma membranes), and steroids. Cells that
secrete these products, such as cells of the testes, ovaries, and skin oil glands, have
an excess of smooth endoplasmic reticulum.
o Nuclear membrane
 Act as a barrier that separates the contents of the nucleus from the cytoplasm.
o Ribosomes
 Made of both RNA and protein; reads the messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence and
translates that genetic code into a specified string of amino acids to make proteins.
o Chromatin
 These fibers are coiled and condensed to form chromosomes. They make DNA
replication, transcription, DNA repair, genetic recombination, and cell division
possible.
o Nucleus
 Houses the cell’s genomes. Serves as the repository of genetic information and as
the cell's control center. DNA replication, transcription, and RNA processing all take
place within the nucleus, with only the final stage of gene expression (translation)
localized to the cytoplasm.
o Cytoplasm
 Gel-like fluid inside the cell and is a medium for chemical reactions.
o Cell membrane
 Separates the interior of the cell from the outside environment and regulates the
transport of materials entering and exiting the cell. It is made of a lipid bilayer that is
semipermeable.
o Endoplasmic reticulum
 Can be smooth or rough. The general function is to produce proteins for the rest of
the cell to function. The rough endoplasmic reticulum has ribosomes on it.
o Cellular wall
 Surrounds the plasma membrane of plant cells and provides tensile strength and
protection against mechanical and osmotic stress.
 Screening/Identification Techniques
o Characteristics of body fluid
 Protein mass spectrometry provides true confirmatory results for six forensically relevant
body fluids, including peripheral and menstrual blood, vaginal fluid, urine, saliva, and
seminal fluid.
o Blood
 Red blood cells (erythrocytes) carry oxygen to all cells in the body.
 White blood cells (leukocytes) are an important part of the immune system.
 Platelets (thrombocytes) make the blood clot and help stop bleeding.
 Luminol, perhaps the most well-known presumptive test, results in a distinctive blue
luminescence in the presence of blood, based on the oxidation of luminol by hemoglobin.
 phenolphthalein (Kastle-Meyer) test
 Can be matched to a person using DNA analysis.
o Blood Splatter Patterns
 Impact spatter
 Bloodstain produced when an object make a forceful contact with a source of blood
projecting blood outward
 Forward spatter

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 Blood that travels away from source in same direction as force caused
 Back spatter
 Blood directed back towards source of the force caused
 Direction and angle of impact
 sinA=(width of blood stain/length of blood stain)
 Classifying spatter
 Low-velocity
 Large droplets in 4mm diameter done by minimal force or object dropping
into blood pool
 Medium-velocity spatter
 Small droplets of 1 to 4 mm done by blunt force of 5 to 25ft/sec
 High-velocity spatter
 Very fine drops of less than 1mm done by force of 100ft/sec, typically a
gunshot or explosion
 Origins of impact spatter
 Area of convergence
 Two dimensional plane where lines traced through a long axis of several
individual strains from which the blood were projected.
 Area of origin
 Three dimensional space of blood from which the stain originated, the
location of the area of convergence and the angle of impact for each stain is
used to approximate the area
 Gunshot
 Characterized by forward from exit wound and back spatter of entrance
wound
 Leaves very fine droplets
 Medium and large sized drops may also be observed
 injury, size of the wound created affects the back spatter
 Back spatter contains smaller, atomized stains than forward spatter
 Muzzle blast hitting blood will atomize it
 Some of the blood (depending on distance shot was made) will be on suspect
and in the gun itself
 A gunshot residue (“GSR”) wipe test detects the presence of distinctive
chemicals that are deposited on a person’s skin or clothing or other nearby
surfaces when a gun is fired.
 Material deposited on any part of the body, most particularly the hands, face,
and clothing of the shooter, as a result of the discharge of a firearm. The
residue can include particles from the primer, the gunpowder, the projectile,
and the cartridge case.
 From the moment a firearm is discharged, pGSR particles can be lost due to
activity and movement. After 6-8 hours, analysts would not expect to detect
pGSR on an active person.
 The person who collects the GSR sample does not have to be qualified as an
expert – the state only needs to show that the person knew how to collect it
properly and did so in this case.
 reaction residues containing barium could bear resemblance to gunshot
residue and produce false positive results
 Cast-off spatter
 Created by blood-covered objects flings blood in arc onto nearby surfaces.
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 Commonly seen when a weapon is pulled out of victim
 Bloodstains tails point to the direction the object was moving
 Width of the cast-off my suggest the kind of object produced by the pattern
 Small or pointed droplets surface are more linear
 Blunt force will give more larger droplets and a wider pattern
 Volume of blood deposited on an object from the source will come into effect
 The blow will show what direction as well
 The pattern will point to backthrust, which is opposite the direction of the
blow, could be used to say which hand assailant used
 Cast-off shows the minimum number of blows delivered
 Each blow pattern should be seen by a forward and reverse blow, so by
counting the patterns will indicate the minimum amount of blow
 Arterial spray spatter
 Created when the victim suffers injury to the artery or heart
 Patterns show large spurted stains for each time the heart pumps
 Radial spikes, satellite spatter, or flow patterns may be evident of spurts
 Drops may been seen fairly uniform in size and shape and in parallel
arrangement
 The lineup shows the victims movement
 Vertical arcs show pressure fluctuation
 Larger stains are at the end of the pattern
 Arterial patterns may differ if the blood is oxygenated, brighter red, than
expelled blood
 Expiated blood
 Pattern made from nose or mouth caused by internal injury
 Pattern created is under great pressure, thus making fine high-velocity spatter
 Lower velocity stains are in clusters and irregular in shape
 Presence of bubbles can differ in shape than other stains
 Lighter color may indicate the presence of saliva
 Void patterns
 Created when object blocks deposition of blood
 Spatter on object than on the person
 Blank space may indicate size and shape of obstructing object
 Find how it fits in the puzzle
 It may help establish body’s position of victim or assailant
 Other bloodstain patterns
 contact/transfer
 Flows
 Pools
 Drip trail patterns
o Saliva
 The amount of proteins in saliva mainly will determine its thickness or frothiness. The
liquid aids digestion, moistens your mouth, reduces infections in the mouth and throat,
and helps protect your teeth and gums.
 α-amylase test
 Saliva yields high quantity high-molecular weight DNA.
o Semen

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 The head of the sperm contains the nucleus, the midpiece is packed with mitochondria,
and the tail moves like a propeller. A low sperm count is fewer than 15 million sperm per
milliliter of semen or fewer than 39 million per ejaculate.
 Can be matched to a person using DNA analysis.
o Vaginal Fluids
 Color may be white, gray, yellow, or brown (if mixed with blood). Consistency may be
mucoid (thin), thick, frothy, or cheesy.
o Mucus
 Cloudy or white mucus is a sign of a cold. Yellow or green mucus is a sign of a bacterial
infection. Brown or orange mucus is sign of dried red blood cells and inflammation (aka
a dry nose).
 A sputum test, also known as a sputum culture, is a test that your doctor may order when
you have a respiratory tract infection or other lung-related disorder to determine what is
growing in the lungs.
o Urine
 Can be matched to a person using DNA analysis.
 Rapid Stain Identification (RSID) test for urine
 Genetic Tests
 PCR
o The polymerase chain reaction provides a discrete method of amplifying minute quantities of
DNA.
o Three steps in PCR
1. Denaturation of the template into single strands (94C)
2. Annealing of primers to each original strand for new strand synthesis (50C)
3. Extension of the new DNA strands from the primers(72C)
o The amplification of the DNA is equivalent to two raised to the power of “n” where “n” is
the number of cycles completed.
o The amount of DNA being amplified is limited to a range of 300-1000 base pairs for ideal
amplification and limited error.
o This process uses Taq polymerase which is a DNA polymerase isolated from a bacterium that
lives in austere conditions. The ability to withstand high temperatures is important because
stability in the high temperatures is necessary to perform amplification. Unlike Taq
polymerase, other DNA polymerases become denatured in high temperatures, which causes
them to be unsuitable for PCR.
 STR
o Short Tandem Repeats
o Also known as microsatellites and is made of 1-6 base pairs forming a series with lengths up
to 100 nucleotides.
 Y-Chromosome Testing
o This uncovers a person's Y-chromosome haplogroup which is the ancient group of people
from whom one’s patrilineage descends. This traces the DNA along one male line of direct
ancestors. This does not include females’ information.
o Will confirm with absolute accuracy whether two or more male individuals share a common,
biological paternal ancestor.
 Y-STR
 Y chromosome (Y) Short Tandem Repeats (STR)
 Y-STRs are usually designated by DYS numbers.

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 A DYS number is the scientific name for a short tandem repeat found
on the Y chromosome. D stands for DNA , Y stands for Y
chromosome and S is a marker for a unique segment.
 Mitochondrial Testing
o traces a person's matrilineal or mother-line ancestry using the DNA in his or her
mitochondria
o mtDNA is passed down by the mother unchanged, to all her children, both male and female
 Autosomal Testing
o Done by looking at a subset of regions in your DNA that the companies have determined are
helpful for identifying ethnic ancestry. Typically, autosomal DNA tests look at less than 1%
of your genome — around one million nucleotide sites.
 Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)
o Using DNA sequences from prokaryotic organisms. These sequences are used to detect and
destroy DNA from similar bacteriophages during subsequent infections. (HIV, Huntington’s,
etc).

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Chemistry
 Purpose
o Identifies the presence of chemicals that have a legally recognized potential for abuse.
o Assists in creating connections to the circumstances surrounding the crime scene being
investigated.
 Toxicology
o the analysis of biological samples for the presence of toxins, including drugs
o ultraviolet spectrophotometry
 This technique measures the light absorbance across the ultraviolet and visible ranges of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
 Provides quantitative amounts of specific chemical compounds within the substance being
tested.
o gas chromatographic
 The various elements of a compound are separated into their distinct parts for individual
analysis.
 This is most often achieved by observing how the elements react with a specific solvent and
identifying them by their unique “retention time”.
 The retention time helps us to know the window for which the alcohol, drugs, or poison was
ingested by the victim.
o immunologic methods
 based on the binding of a specific labeled drug to an antibody
 The analysis depends on the competitive displacement of the labeled drug from the antibody
complex by the unlabeled drug in the sample.
o gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
 Gas chromatography separates the components of a mixture, and mass spectrometry
characterizes each of the components individually.
 This testing method provides quantitative and qualitative data.
o special methods for metal analysis
 heavy metals panel or heavy metal toxicity test are commonly used for metal analysis by
forensic toxicologists
 Lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are the metals most commonly associated with heavy
metal poisoning in the United States.
 Blood Alcohol Determination
o Most commonly, the breathalyzer test is used in the field. If an individual refuses, then they may
be obtained, and blood will be drawn. It is important that blood be drawn as quickly as possible
following the incident.
o Factors that influence BAC (Blood Alcohol Content)
 Rate of Consumption
 The human body needs time to metabolize alcohol. The faster an individual
consumes alcohol, the higher the BAC will be.
 Drink composition
 The size and strength of the drink will affect the BAC.
 Offender’s Weight
 The heavier the individual, the more alcohol has to mix inside the body. This
causes the ratio of alcohol to bodily fluid to be lower which makes the BAC lower
than that of a lighter person.
 Offender’s Gender

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 Dehydrogenase is an enzyme in your stomach that breaks down alcohol. Women
produce less of this enzyme than men. Therefore, alcohol tends to have a stronger
and longer-lasting effect on women, comparatively speaking.
 General Principles

o Elemental composition

 specifies the identity, arrangement, and ratio of the elements making up a compound.
o Structure/model types
 Fisher projection model
 Bond-line formula
 Ball and stick model
 Benzene model
 Skeletal structure
 Lewis structure
o Bonds
 Covalent
 Single bonded: shares 2 electrons (water)
 Double bonded: shares 4 electrons (carbon dioxide)
 Triple bonded: shares 6 electrons (N3)
 Ionic
 Electrostatic attraction between 2 atoms;1 atom transfers an electron to the other.
 Van der waals
 Hydrogen bonds
 Water, methanol
 Strongest intermolecular force
 Dipole-dipole interactions
 London dispersion forces
 Weakest intermolecular forces; biggest distance between atoms
o Isomeric categorization
 Does the molecule have the same molecular formula?
 N: Non-Isomer
 Y: Isomer
 Does the molecule have the same connectivity?
 N: Constitutional Isomer
 Y: Stereoisomer Isomer
 Does the molecule have a non-superimposable mirror
image?
 N: Diastereomers
 CIS: point in the same direction
 TRANS: point in opposite directions
 Y: Enantiomers
 L: hydroxy group attached to the left side of
the asymmetric carbon furthest from the
carbonyl group
 D: hydroxy group attached to the right side
of the asymmetric carbon closest to the
carbonyl group
o Molar Mass Calculation
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It is the mass of 1 mole of a substance.
CO = C (12.01) + O (16.00) = 28.01g/mol
H2O = H (1.01) + H (1.01) + O (12.01) = 18.02g/mol
o Compound Percentage Calculation
 Ferric Oxide = Fe2O3
 Fe = 56 atomic weight x 2 = 112
 O = 16 atomic weight x 3 = 48
 % breakdown = 70% iron (112/160) & 30% oxygen (48/160)

Acid/Base Interactions
Acid Base
Arrhenius Donor of H+ Donor of OH-
Bronsted-Lowry Donor of H+ Acceptor of H+
Lewis Acceptor of electron - Donor of electron -

Substance Substance Type Substance Test

Schedule

Schedule I

Heroin I Downer Marquis test (yellow color)

(Opiate)

LSD (lysergic acid I Hallucinogen Ehrlich's Reagent :blue-

diethylamide) colored

PCP I Hallucinogen Scott Test/cobalt(I1)-

thlocyanate: blue-colored

Marijuana I Depressant Duguenois-Levine

(cannabis) Test :red color, which
turns into blue when
diluting the sample with
water

Ecstasy (MDMA) I Upper colorimetric spot test with

Marquis reagent: dark
purple to black color

methaqualone I Depressant cobilt(lD-thiocyanate:

blue-colored

peyote I Hallucinogen -

Schedule II

Vicodin II Opiate qualitative urine test

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Cocaine II Upper Modified Scott Reagent:
cobalt(II)- thiocyanate,
acetic acid, glycerine/
cone. hydrochloric acid/
chloroform
: blue-colored, pink
intermediate

methamphetamine II Upper Marquis' Reagent/Simon's

Reagent/Vitali-Morin's
Reagent : yellow,
yellowish green and other
colors.

methadone II Downer Marquis' Reagent

(Opiate)

hydromorphone II Opiate Marquis' Reagent: orange

(Dilaudid) colors

meperidine II Opiate Meperidine Urine Screen

(Demerol) with Reflex to Quantitation

oxycodone II Opiate oxycodone assay/GC/MS

(OxyContin)

fentanyl II Downer Fentanyl test strips (FTS)

(Opiate)

Dexedrine II Upper Urine Screen

Adderall II Upper Amphetamine Screen

Ritalin II Upper Amphetamine Screen

Schedule III

Tylenol with III “Depressant” Marquis' Reagent:(blue to

codeine green
(acts like)

Ketamine III Hallucinogen Scott Test/cobalt(I1)-

thlocyanate: blue-colored

Anabolic steroids III - GC or liquid

chromatography (LC)
separation coupled with
MS detection

Testosterone III - GC or liquid

chromatography (LC)
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separation coupled with
MS detection

Schedule IV

Xanax IV Downer blood tests, urine tests,

saliva swabs, and hair
follicle analysis

Soma (MDMA) IV Upper hair follicle analysis

Darvon IV Depressant GC or liquid

chromatography (LC)
separation coupled with
MS detection

Darvocet IV Depressant GC or liquid

chromatography (LC)
separation coupled with
MS detection

Valium IV Depressant NARK Valium Rohypnol

Ketamine Reagent: blue-
colored

Ativan IV Downer Urine test

Talwin IV Downer Urine test

(Opiate)

Ambien IV Depressant urine tests, saliva swabs,

and hair follicle analysis

Tramadol IV Depressant blood tests, urine tests,

saliva swabs, and hair
follicle analysis

Schedule V

Robitussin (cough V Depressant, urine tests

prep) Hallucinogen

Lomotil V Downer blood tests

(Opiate)

Motofen V Downer blood tests

(Opiate)
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Lyrica (Pregabalin) V Depressant blood tests

Parepectolin V Downer blood tests

(Opiate)

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Physics
 Energy
o Fundamental, basic notion is that energy is scalar and describes the state of an object or system.
o Energy language = Force language BUT energy approach is more simple and general than force
 Force
o SUM (Force of y) = mass x acceleration of object y
 Electromagnetic Spectrum:

Statistics
 Mean
 You add all of the data points up and divide that sum by the number of data points in your data set.
 Median
 You order then sequentially from least to most. The middle amount is your median.
 Mode
 The data point that reoccurs the most in a set of data.
 Range
 The difference between the highest number and lowest number.
 Standard Deviation
 Equivalent to the square root of the sum of each data point minus the sample average squared over
the total number of data points minus 1.
 Variability
 Refers to how spread out the group of data points are.
 To calculate you take the sum of each data point minus the sample average squared over the total
number of data points minus 1. It is essentially the sample standard deviation squared.
 Distribution
 99.7% of a bell curve for a normal sample set is 3 standard deviations away.
 95% of a bell curve for a normal sample set is 2 standard deviations away.
 68% of a bell curve for a normal sample set is 1 standard deviation away.
POPULATION SAMPLE
The measurable quality is called a parameter. The measurable quality is called a statistic.
The population is a complete set. Subset of the entire population.
Reports are a true representation of an opinion. Reports have margins of error and confidence intervals.

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Trace Analysis
 Identifies minute transfers of materials that cannot be seen with the unaided eye
 Provide a link between the victim and a suspect, a victim and a scene, or the suspect and a scene
 Trace consists of 9 subcategories:
1. Fibers
a. analyzed using: Stereomicroscope, Comparison Microscope, or Microspectrophotometer
b. man-made or Natural: Polarized Light Microscope or FT-IR
2. Fire Debris Analysis
a. Definition: The examination of materials from a fire to determine the presence or absence of
an ignitable liquid (flammable or combustible).
i. A flammable liquid is a liquid which has a flashpoint below 37.8°C (100°F), while a
combustible liquid has a flashpoint between 37.8°C (100°F) and 93.3°C (200°F).
b. Methods: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, spectrum analysis methods, particle
counter method, magnetic plug method, filter method, and ferrography analysis method
i. Ferrography: The solid debris suspended in a lubricant is separated and systematically
deposited onto a glass slide. The slide is examined under a microscope to distinguish
particle size, concentration, composition, morphology and surface condition of the
ferrous and non-ferrous wear particles.
ii. The principle for the magnetic plug system is that ferromagnetic particles in the oil
are attracted by the magnetic plug.
c. The term “accelerant” is not used by the laboratory. Whether or not a liquid has been used as
an accelerant in a fire is a determination made by the investigator, not the scientist in the
laboratory.
i. most common accelerant: gasoline

3. Glass
a. Glass is an inorganic product of fusion, essentially composed by heating a mix of sand
(silicon dioxide, SiO2), limestone (calcium carbonate), and soda (sodium carbonate), along
with various impurities.
i. Window glass, perhaps the most common type, is generally encountered as a flat,
transparent sheet composed of soda-lime glass. This does not resist high temperatures
or sudden temperature changes and can be damaged by corrosive substances.
ii. Tempered glass, commonly used in vehicle passenger windows, is much stronger.
iii. Laminated glass is produced with a layer of plastic in between the sheets of glass,
holding it together if it breaks. This is often used in car windshields and shop
windows. The various forms of glass are coloured by the addition of small amounts of
metals, such as cobalt for a blue colouring and chromium for green.
b. The density and refractive index of glass can both be used to distinguish between fragments.
i. The density is determined by weighing samples and measuring the volume, using the
formula density = mass / volume.
ii. The refractive index of glass is its ability to bend light which passes through it,
making it possible to identify the type of glass based on its assigned number, using
GRIM (Glass Refractive Index Measurement) apparatus.
iii. Glass will change its refractive index when heated.
c. When a projectile hits the surface of a glass pane, the glass bends slightly before breaking.
This causes radial fractures to occur on the side of the glass opposite the point of impact. If
these fractures encounter a pre-existing fracture line they will end, making it possible to
establish the order in which the fractures occurred.
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i. A fast-moving projectile, such as a bullet, will leave a crater-shaped hole in the pane
of glass, whereas a slow-moving projectile will usually shatter the entire pane. Tiny
shards of glass will often be found on the clothes of the perpetrator, or anyone else
standing in the vicinity when the glass was smashed. Whereas most glass will fall
inwards with the impact, fragments will spray in the opposite direction, known as
backscatter.
4. Gunshot Residue
a. Macroscopic Examination-no visual aid to identify characteristics/patterns
b. Microscopic Examination
c. Distance Determination (if possible)
d. Chemical Tests Chem Test ID Pres Of Pos Color
Griess Nitrites Orange

Dithiooxamide (DTO) Copper Green

Sodium Rhodizonate Lead Purple

5. Hairs
a. Notable characteristics: Species, Color, Body Area, Tip (Cut, Broken, Split), Method of
Removal, Disease, Race, Length, Diameter, Artificial Treatment, Time Since Last Treatment,
Damage (Crushed, Broken, Burned)
b. Hair is composed of the medulla (inner core), the cortex (surrounding layer), and the cuticle
(covering layer).
i. The cortex of the hair surrounds the medulla and consists of both pigment granules
and minute air bubbles known as fusi. The cuticle is the layer covering the hair,
which consists of a series of overlapping scales. These scale patterns may be coronal,
petal or umbricate, their pattern being especially useful in establishing species.
ii. Petal scales are also not found in humans and their appearance resembles the scales of
a reptile.
iii. Umbricate scales, which are overlapping with no apparent pattern, are most
commonly found in human hair.
iv. The medulla, the center section of a hair, is particularly useful for various reasons.
The medulla itself can be classified as either absent, fragmented, interrupted, or
continuous. Most human head hair will have either no medulla or a fragmented
medulla, with the exception of individuals of the mongoloid race, who will typically
have a continuous medulla. If the hair is from an animal, the medulla is likely to be
continuous or interrupted. The medullary index, expressed as a ratio of shaft diameter
to medulla diameter, can be used to distinguish between human and animal hair.
c. The microscopic examination of human hair can allow for it to be classified into one of three
racial groups.
i. Caucasoid or European hairs tend to be of fine to medium coarseness in a range of
colors. They are usually straight or wavy, have a round or oval cross-section, and
display evenly distributed medium-sized pigment granules. Medium in size, they are
generally straight or wavy.
ii. Mongoloid/Asian hairs are usually coarse, straight, and circular in cross-section, with
a wider diameter and thicker cuticle. Pigment granules are medium-sized and grouped
in patches rather than distributed evenly.
iii. Negroid hairs tend to be curly with flattened or oval cross-sections and larger pigment
granules.
d. If no root is present, it may still be possible to extract mitochondrial DNA.
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e. As hair grows out of follicles in the skin, any substances taken in by the body will often be
absorbed into the hair, therefore hair can be analyzed for the presence of various chemicals.
6. Impressions
a. 4 categories: footwear, tire, toolmarks and miscellaneous
7. Low Explosives
a. analyzes the material that comprises the explosive device including the containment unit and
the harmful chemicals within it
b. Ignition Susceptibility Test, Macroscopic/Microscopic Examination, Chemical Tests, &
Elemental Analysis
8. Paint
a. Blue and green pigments are usually caused by organic compounds, whereas red, yellow and
white colors tend to be from inorganic compounds.
b. ORGANIC: Microspectrophotometer, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR), or
Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (Pyro-GC / MS)
c. INORGANIC: Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM / EDS) or the X-Ray Diffraction
Instrument (XRD)
d. The paint of automobiles can often be traced back to a specific make and model.
9. Miscellaneous
a. covers all other types of physical evidence that cannot be analyzed under other categories of
analysis
b. EX) headlamp examinations, plastic bag comparisons, tape comparisons, lubricant analysis,
and unknown chemical identification

Fingerprints
 Categories of evidence
o Porous
 EX) cardboard, paper, unfinished wood, etc.
 Allows for the preservation of latent fingerprints because residue soaks into the surface.
o Non-porous
 EX) glass , finished wood, plastic, etc.
 Does not readily allow for the preservation of the latent print.
 Categories of fingerprints
o Whorl
 Form circular or spiral patterns and make up approximately 35% of the population.
 Plain: concentric circles; the ridges in these whorls make a turn of one complete circuit
with two deltas and are therefore circular or spiral in shape. This is the simplest form of
whorl and also the most common.

 Double loop: two loops that create an S-like pattern; it has two distinct and separate
shoulders for each core, two deltas and one or more ridges that make a complete circuit.

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 Central pocket loop: a loop with a whorl at the end. These whorls consist of at least one
re-curving ridge or an obstruction at right angles to the line of flow with two deltas and if
an imaginary line is drawn in between then no re-curving ridge within the pattern area
will be touched or cut. These whorl ridges make one complete circuit and may be oval,
circular, spiral or any variant of a circle.

 Accidental loop: irregular shaped; derived from two distinct types of patterns that have at
least two deltas.

o Arch
 Create a wave-like pattern and make up about 5% of the population
 Plain arch: The ridges of the finger run continuously from one side of the finger to the
other and make no backward turn.

 Tented arch: Tented arch lies in the ridges in the center and is not continuous like the
plain arch. They have significant up thrusts in the ridges near the middle that arrange
themselves on both sides of an axis. The adjoining ridges converge towards this axis and
thus appear to form tents.

o Loops
 Accounts for approximately 60% of the population.
 radial loops: pointing toward the radius bone, or thumb; more common

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 ulnar loops: pointing toward the ulna bone, or pinky; most commonly found on the index
finger
 Special Ridge Techniques
o Island, Short Ridge, Ridge ending, Bifurcation, Enclosure
o Core & Delta

 Enhancement Techniques
o Patent prints are collected using photography in high resolution with a forensic measurement
scale in the image for reference.
o Latent fingerprints are collected by dusting a smooth or nonporous surface with fingerprint
powder and then photographed/lifted.
o Investigators may examine the area with an alternate light source or apply cyanoacrylate (super
glue) before using powders because powders contaminate evidence from other methods of
testing.
 Cyanoacrylate is superglue processing/fuming of a surface before applying powders or
dye stains.
 Cyanoacrylate is commonly used on non-porous surfaces.
 The vapors (fumes) will adhere to any prints present on the object allowing them to be
viewed with oblique ambient light or a white light source.
o Porous surfaces are typically processed with chemicals.
 These chemicals react with specific components of latent print residue, such as amino
acids and inorganic salts.
 Ninhydrin causes prints to turn a purple color
 DFO (1,2-diazafluoren-9-one) causes fingerprints to fluoresce, or glow, when they are
illuminated by blue-green light.
o Amido Black, a non-specific protein stain that reacts with any protein present, is typically used
for developing or enhancing bloody impressions on human skin.
o Investigators can improve the quality of the images by using low-angle or alternate light sources
and/or certain chemicals or dyes during photography.
 Comparison
o A small magnifier called a loupe is used to view minute details (minutiae) of a print.
o A pointer called a ridge counter is used to count the friction ridges.
o Fingerprint examiners use the ACE-V method
 Analysis
 Can the print be used for comparison?
 If suitable, what are the features to be used in the comparison and their
tolerances?
 Is there a potential place to start based on physical characteristics?
 Comparison
 Looks are the known and suspect prints side-by-side.
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 Compares minutiae characteristics and locations to determine if they match.
 Known samples come from specific people of interest in the crime or the FBI’s
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS).
 Evaluation
 Are the prints from the same source?
 Determined to be from the same source: identification or individualization
 Determined to be from different sources: exclusion
 Determined to not have an identified source: inconclusive
 Inconclusive results come from the poor quality of samples, lack of comparable
areas, or insufficient number of corresponding or dissimilar features to be certain.
 Verification
 another examiner independently analyzes, compares and evaluates the prints to
either support or refute the conclusions of the original examiner

Documents
 Questioned Documents
 Some common examples include: wills, real estate documents, loan documents, company agreements,
military records, family custody documents, and suicide notes.
 Handwriting & signatures are commonly analyzed for form, line quality, arrangement, and content.
 Form: The shapes, curves, and angles of the letters themselves.
 Line Quality: How hard and steadily the pen is pressed on the paper.
 Arrangement: The spacing and formatting of the words within the paragraph.
 Content: The spelling, grammar, and sentence formation. People usually repeat spelling and
grammatical mistakes.
 Graphology
 High pressure means high emotional energy. The writer may be intense, sensual, or vigorous.

 Average pressure means a relatively calm but anchored person. They might have good
perception or memory skills.
 Light pressure is a sign of introversion, or someone who prefers low-energy situations.
 A right slant shows up when the writer is eager to write, or writing quickly, energetically, with
confidence, or assertiveness.
 A left slant could mean an unwillingness to write, or a desire to hide emotions.
 A straight vertical slant might mean the writer keeps their emotions in check.
 Upward writing is said to show optimism and a happy mood.
 Downward writing may be a sign of discouragement or fatigue.
 Wavy baseline writing means they are an unstable or uncertain person, or an unskilled writer.
 Larger text means someone is extroverted.
 Smaller or tightly spaced text means someone is more introverted.
 Digital Documentation & Data Management
 CODIS: Combined DNA Index System DNA profiles maintained by the FBI federal, state, and
local crime labs electronically exchange and compare profiles
 IAFIS: Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System fingerprint system maintained by
the FBI images are submitted nationally by state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies a
latent-print examiner creates a digital image then marks points to guide the computer search
 NIBIN: National Integrated Ballistics Information Network maintained by the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives firearms are digitized using a microscope and
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computer for marking comparisons on bullets and cartridge casings firearms examiner must
make the correlation
 PDQ: International Forensic Automotive Paint Data Query chemical and color info for car paint
maintained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police automotive make, model, year, and assembly
plant can be determined to assist mostly with hit-and-runs
 SICAR: Shoeprint image capture and retrieval commercially available retrieval system for shoe
soles investigators link footwear impressions left at a crime scene to one of 300+ manufactures
 LIMS: A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is software that allows you to
effectively manage samples and associated data. By using a LIMS, your lab can automate
workflows, integrate instruments, and manage samples and associated information.
Firearms/Tool Marks
 Serial numbers prove provenance, authenticity, and ownership
 Methods: chemical and electrolytic, ultrasonic cavitation etching, magnetic particle, and heat treatment

Above: Semi-
Shotguns onautomatic
left from top
Above: Single-shot
to bottom: Pump, Break
Handgun
action, and Semi-auto.
Left: Revolver

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Digital Evidence
 Video Recordings
 Active VS Passive
 A passive recording system is a recording system that doesn’t store information in its
memory system.
 An active recording system is a recording that stores information in its memory system.
 Most common digital storage mediums are HDD, SSD or Volatile (flash) memory.
 Methods of recording
 Open source format
 a file format usually maintained by a standards organization and can be used and
implemented by anyone
 Proprietary format
 a file format of a company, organization, or individual that contains data that is
ordered and stored according to a particular encoding-scheme created by the company
 These formats are more common when video evidence is extracted directly from the
system that created it, because they are a more secure and higher quality formatting.
 They contain digital information like Meta Data and Telemetry Data
 Courtroom ready format
 video recording that is easily playable in a court of law using a computer, projection
system, or large television
 Oftentimes this format is deliverable in the form of a flash drive, DVD or Data Disc.
 Voice Recordings
 DME (Digital Media Evidence) is defined by LEVA as “Information of probative value stored in
binary form” (LEVA-2013).
 Main entities that oversee this form of forensics:
 LEVA: Law Enforcement Video Association
 NATIA: National Technical Investigators' Association
 IAI: International Association for Identification
 Photography
 Lighting
 Types
 Steady burning lighting
 Used in laboratory
 quartz lamps
 photoflood lamps
 fluorescent lamps
 Rotating lighting
 Strobe lighting
 LED lighting
 Angles
 45 degrees
 Position 45𝆩 away from the evidence. If only one light is used, a white or
silver reflector can be placed on the opposite side of the evidence to reflect
some of the light back toward the evidence, reducing shadows.
 Used for photographing the average item of evidence where the objective is to
show the item’s shape and size
 Direct

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 This is done by placing the subject at a 10–degree angle from the lens to film
plane and placing the light source at a 10–degree angle from the subject.
 Used to minimize shadows within the evidence. However, this method creates
very high contrast and does not show the dimensional shape or texture of the
evidence.
 The light source may need to be diffused to prevent hot spots.
 Oblique
 Oblique lighting uses a light source positioned at a low angle.
 Used when photographing impressions, tool marks and certain types of
fingerprints. A very low oblique angle of lighting can be used to photograph
dusty footwear impressions and indented writing.
 Bounce
 Uses light bounced off a white or reflective surface. Produces even non–glare
lighting with low contrast.
 The bounce surface may be positioned at different locations (above or to one
side of the subject) to create the desired effect.
 Diffused
 Uses an opaque material placed between the light source and the subject to
soften the light. This usually results in even lighting with reduced reflections
and hot spots.
 Opaque material options: white bed sheet, empty water bottle, cloud dome,
etc.
 Used for photographing evidence with shiny or reflective surfaces.
 Transmittal
 Uses light that shines through the evidence toward the camera’s lens.
 The background becomes shadow–free.
 The angle of the transmitted lighting can be adjusted from 90–degrees to 45–
degrees for the desired effect.
 Used for photographing transparent or translucent subjects. It is effective in
photographing evidence such as a fingerprint on a drinking glass.
 Front directional or axial lighting
 Allows you to send light straight down onto the evidence.
 A clear piece of glass is placed between the subject and lens at a 45–degree
angle. The light source is positioned parallel to the film plane and 45–degrees
to the glass.
 Effective when photographing hollow cavities, such as glasses or cups.
 Colors
 Red is for emergency vehicles and first responders
 Amber is used for utility vehicles (tow trucks, garbage, etc.)
 Green is used by Homeland Security Agencies and government/private security
agencies protecting high risk government and critical infrastructure
 Depth of Field
 Defined as the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears
acceptably sharp.
 It is based on the circle of confusion where the CoC is the indistinct circular patch formed by
a lens representing the out-of-focus image of a single object point.
 Aperture is the opening in your lens that lets light pass through to the sensor. Large apertures,
which correlate to small f-stop numbers, produce a very shallow depth of field. On the other
hand, small apertures, or large f-stop numbers, produce images with a large depth of field.
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 f/16 & f/11 & f/8: larger depth of field, less light
 f/5.6 & f/4 & f/2.8: less depth of field, more light

Safety
 Chemical Hygiene
 MSDS
 Material Safety Data Sheets
 The labels quickly inform users of the hazard level associated with a certain chemical.
 Hazard Communication Standard mandates that manufacturers, importers, and
distributors must provide MSDS.
 9 categories of information on the MSDS:
 Product Information: product identifier (name), manufacturer and suppliers
names, addresses, and emergency phone numbers
 Hazardous Ingredients
 Physical Data
 Fire or Explosion Hazard Data
 Reactivity Data: information on the chemical instability of a product and the
substances it may react with
 Toxicological Properties: health effects
 Preventive Measures
 First Aid Measures
 Preparation Information: who is responsible for preparation and date of
preparation of MSDS
 Communication plans
 All employees must be trained on potential hazardous chemicals that they work with or
may come into contact with.
 Identification, precaution, clean-up, etc.
 Universal Precautions
 Blood-borne pathogens
 infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans
 Some examples
 Malaria
 Syphilis
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 Brucellosis
 Hepatitis B (HBV)
 Hepatitis C (HCV)
 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
 Personal Protective Gear
 Gloves
 Gowns
 Booties
 Masks
 Eye Protection (e.g., goggles)
 Face Shields
 Hazardous Waste/Biohazardous Waste Handling
 Hazardous
 The RCRA determines what is considered hazardous and how to handle such items.
 RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
 Biohazardous
 Biohazards are syringes, razors, lancets and other devices that come in contact with
bodily fluids.
 Red biohazard bags are used to place biohazard materials into.
 A solid plastic container is then used to transport the red bags.
 Spill control Kits
 PPE (gloves, goggles, etc.)
 Concentrated disinfectant
 Biohazard/Autoclave bags
 Absorbent pads/paper towels
 Forceps, tongs or dustpan and broom to pick up broken glass
QA/QC
Accreditation, Certification, Standardization
1. Laboratory accreditation
a) Audit trails
 A security-relevant chronological record, set of records, and/or destination and
source of records that provide documentary evidence of the sequence of activities
that have affected at any time a specific operation, procedure, event, or device.
 These can be used in court as evidence to link a specific technological device to
an activity with a bracketed timeframe.
b) Accrediting bodies
 ANAB is the longest established provider of accreditation based on ISO standards
for forensic agencies in the United States.
c) ISO 17025
ISO/IEC 17025 specifies the general requirements for competence to carry out
tests/ and or calibrations, including sampling. It covers testing and calibration quality
systems using standard methods, non-standard methods, and laboratory-developed
methods.
d) DAB standards
 DNA Advisory board. They set the standards for what is deemed acceptable for
DNA evidence in the realm of forensics and law.
e) ASCLD/LAB

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 The American Association of Crime Lab Directors accreditation board (ASCLD-
LAB) accredits laboratories in the field of forensic testing.
2. Personnel certification
a) ABC
 The ABC is composed of regional and national organizations which represent
forensic scientists. Each organization is entitled to one member on the ABC
Board of Directors and one member on the ABC Examination Committee.
 Certification is a voluntary process of peer review by which a practitioner is
recognized as having attained the professional qualifications necessary to practice
in one or more disciplines of criminalistics. The ABC offers a certifications in
biological evidence screening, forensic DNA, molecular biology, drug chemistry,
and comprehensive criminalistics.

b) IAAI
 IIAAI is accredited by two third party organizations: The Pro Board and the
Forensic Specialities Accreditation Board. IAAI is the only professional
organization for fire investigators that holds both of these accreditations.
 The Pro Board has accredited the IAAI-CFI® Program to the NFPA 1033
standard. This accreditation means that the testing requirements for the IAAI-CFI
certification fulfill NFPA 1033's requirements.
 Accreditation by the Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board acknowledges that
IAAI's Certified Fire Investigation Board, which oversees the IAAI-CFI Program,
meets the FSAB's standards for practitioner certification based on an evaluation of
the program's training, education, and ethics
c) IAI
 The International Association for Identification (IAI) has established a
certification program in order to identify qualified practitioners working in the
various disciplines of forensic science. These certifications are not available to
individuals with no experience or those working outside the field.
d) ABFT
 The American Board of Forensic Toxicology, Inc. (ABFT) was formed in 1975 to
certify forensic toxicologists whose role included the interpretation of drug test
results, generally at a doctoral level.
e) AFTE
 The Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) is an international
non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of firearm and tool mark
identification, which is one of the forensic sciences.
3. Standardization
a) ASTM
 There are generally six (6) types of features that you will see with an ASTM
document, including Test Method, Specification, Classification, Practice, Guide,
and Terminology.
 ASTM is a national organization that is a part of ISO organizations. ISO is an
international organization that has representations from all countries including
ASTM.
 ISO establishes documents and updates the standards of testing materials with
global consensus from the experts of the associated national organizations.
b) SWG

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 consist of scientific subject-matter experts who collaborate to determine best
practices and to develop consensus standards
c) TWG
 committee of approximately 50 experienced forensic science practitioners from
local, state, and federal agencies and laboratories
d) SWGMAT
 Scientific Working Group for Materials Analysis
e) SWGFAST
 Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis, Study and Technology
f) SWGDRUG
 Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs
g) SWGDOC
 Scientific Working Group for Forensic Document Examination
h) SWGDAM
 Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods

B. QA/QC Application
1. The areas listed below are the components that the QA/QC methods are applied to:
a. Noncompliant data
b. Documentation evaluation
c. Validation and verification
d. Linearity
e. Limits of detection
f. Limits of quantitation
g. Limits of reporting
h. Negative and positive controls
i. Calibrators
j. Estimate of uncertainty
k. Traceability
l. Corrective and preventative actions
m. Proficiency testing
n. Confidence interval/confidence limits

Laws/Legal Decision
 Frye v. United States
o The Supreme Court eventually ruled the lie detector technology was not generally accepted and
that the district court had properly excluded this evidence from the earlier case.
 Federal Rule of Evidence 702
o The standard for accepting new technologies in court is based more on the reliability of the
technique used instead of its general acceptance, and making it less strict as to the type of person
who could appear in court as an expert.
 U.S. v. Downing
o Established the standard that when there is a serious question regarding the reliability of
evidence, it is important for the court to exercise an evidentiary relevance hearing.
 Andrews v. State of Florida
o DNA evidence used for the first time and approved the statistical data supporting said evidence.
 People of the State of New York v. Joseph CASTRO

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o Established a three-prong test to determine if DNA evidence should be admitted:
 DNA forensic testing produces reliable results.
 Techniques and experiments currently used can produce reliable results.
 Did the laboratory perform the accepted scientific techniques in analyzing the forensic
samples in the case in question?
 U.S. v. Matthew Sylvester TWO BULLS
o After the sexual assault of a minor, a five-pronged test was created regarding DNA’s
admissibility
 Is DNA evidence accepted by the scientific community?
 Are the testing procedures used in this case reliable?
 Was the test performed properly in this case?
 Is the evidence more prejudicial than probative in this case?
 Are the statistics used to determine the probability of someone else having the same
genetic characteristics is more probative than prejudicial under Rule 403?
 PEOPLE of the State of Illinois v. Reggie E. MILES
o The case reduced the questioning around the general admissibility of DNA evidence after the use
of TWGDAM techniques.
 Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals
o The case involved the malformation of fetuses. The ruling resulted in scientific evidence is
admissible only if the principle upon which it is based is sufficiently established to have general
acceptance in the field to which it belongs.
o Updated the fifth prong established by US v Matthew Sylvester TWO BULLS
 Mapp V Ohio
o Established that the exclusionary rule applies to evidence gained from an unreasonable search or
seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Legal Terminology
 Court Orders
o A legal command issued by a court but can be known by other names: magistrate’s order, arrest
warrant, show cause order, order to appear, summons or clerk’s order.
o A judge may find an individual in contempt of court for not complying with a court order.
 Warrants
o Arrest Warrants
 Empowers law enforcement to arrest an individual suspected of a crime.
o Search Warrants
 Search warrants direct a law enforcement officer to search designated premises, vehicles
or persons for the purpose of seizing designated items and accounting for any items so
obtained to the court which issued the warrant.
 Items can be seized if there is probable cause to believe that they are:
 Stolen
 unlawfully possessed.
 used, or possessed for the purpose of being used, to commit a crime
 evidence of a crime or the identity of a person committing a crime
o Bench Warrants
 Issued by the court system if a person is in contempt of court.
 Means a person didn’t appear in court for their scheduled hearing, disobeyed a court
subpoena to appear in court, or failed to comply with a court order.
 If a judge issues a bench warrant in your name, it calls for your immediate arrest.
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o Blue Warrants
 They are issued when a parolee violates the terms of their parole agreement.
 All individuals that complete a minimum prison sentence shall remain under court
supervision and placed on parole after release in the state of Texas.
 If you appear in court to answer for a blue warrant the decision could be to reinstate
parole, mandatory residence in a halfway house, intermediate changes to the conditions
of parole terms, or parole revocation.
 Subpoenas
o Requires that an individual testifies in court, at a hearing, or other judicial proceedings.
Subpoenas produce records including papers, physical items, or electronic files. Subpoenas can
force people to produce documents or answer questions at a deposition.
o Grounds to block a subpoena:
 Privileged or confidential information.
 The subpoena is too vague.
 Inadequate time to respond.
 Burdensome travel.
 Chain of custody
o A process that tracks the movement of evidence through its collection, safeguarding, and
analysis lifecycle by documenting each person who handled the evidence, the date/time it was
collected or transferred, and the purpose for the transfer.
 Discovery
o This is the formal process of exchanging information between the parties about the witnesses and
evidence they ll present at trial. Discovery enables the parties to know before the trial begins
what evidence may be presented.
 Voir dire
o A preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel.
 Duces tecum
o Order that requires a witness to bring documents, books or other items under their control and
that they are bound by law to produce into evidence.
 Court Testimony
o Monitoring
 Testimony monitoring is a quality assurance measure by which Department forensic
laboratories and digital analysis entities can ensure that the results of forensic
examinations are properly qualified and appropriately communicated by their examiners.
Its purpose is to provide examiners with ongoing evaluations of their testimonial
presentations and to highlight opportunities for continual improvement.
o Courtroom etiquette
 Dress appropriately
 Act seriously and respectfully
 Take a deep breath and tell the truth
 Do not talk over someone in the courtroom.
 Answer questions.
 Remain calm
 Modify your statement, if needed
 Avoid talking in absolutes
 Prepare to answer all questions truthfully
 Remember that etiquette extends beyond the testimony

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Instrumentation
Polarized Light Microscopy

Stereomicroscopy

 X-ray Fluorescence
o Determines the elemental composition of materials. It can be used to measure most elements on the
periodic table. Not effective for lithium, beryllium, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, or
phosphorus. Helpful for detecting gunshot residue, glass fragments, and paint.
 X-ray Diffraction
o Used to study crystal structures which help identify the chemical composition of a material by
recognizing the crystalline phases present. This is commonly used for analysis of drugs and
pharmaceuticals. It can detect small amounts which is helpful to detect residue.
 Inductively Coupled Plasma
o Most popular method for profiling glass evidence.
 Scanning Election Microscopy
o Numerous crime-scene micro-traces, including glass and paint fragments, tool marks, drugs, explosives,
and gunshot residue (GSR) can be visually and chemically analyzed using SEM.
 Infrared Spectrometry

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o Used for detection of organic compounds on solid surfaces, and qualitative analysis for the 0.78μm to
1000μm wavelength range. This technique detects molecular species based off of the vibration and
rotation of a molecule as it changes states of energy.
 Raman Spectrometry
o Detects radiation through transparent mediums. While in the middle range of IR, this technique detects
the best. If glass and quartz cuvettes are used, then normally unstable materials can be worked with too.
 UV/Visible Spectrometry
o Used to detect absorption and inorganic materials in the UV range of 190nm to 800nm (visible range).
 Fluorescence Spectrometry
o Detects diluted atomic vapors emitting two wavelengths by singlet and triplet excited states. The two
absorption types are: resonance radiation and resonance fluorescence.
 Mass Spectrometry
o Measures the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of one or more molecules present in a sample which is most
used by toxicologists.
 Gas Chromatography
o Separates vaporized samples through two columns or phases (mobile phase & liquid/solid phase).
 High Performance Liquid Chromatography
o A technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify each component in a
mixture.
• Thin-layer Chromatography
o Separate the components in non-volatile mixtures. This technique uses a non-reactive solid coated plate
during the stationary phase.
• Ion Chromatography
o Measures the ionic species by separating them based on their interactions with a resin. This works
because ionic species separate differently depending on species type and size.

Additional Notes

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