Graphology
Forensics and DNA: Graphology

Graphology entails the study of an individual's handwriting as theory or practice when it comes to inferring an individual's character, attitudes, disposition from their handwriting, graphology is generally termed a pseudoscience .this term is at times incorrectly used in reference to forensic document examination. Graphology has been marred with a lot of controversy for over a century. Supporters of graphology point out the anecdotal evidence of very many positive testimonies as the reason as to why it is used for evaluation of personality, most of the empirical studies has failed to show how valid the claims made by these supporters are. Handwriting analysis is a very tedious and methodical process which is based and relies on extensive knowledge of how people use letters, which characteristics of the letter formations are unique and the psychological process behind the specific handwriting. Ways through which an individual's fine motor skills…...

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References

AlleyDog.com. (2009). Forensic Psychology. Retrieved February 13, 2014 from  http://alleydog.com/topics/forensic-psychology.php 

Ramsland, K.(2014). Literary Forensics. Retrieved February 13, 2014 from http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/literary/2.html

Thomas, J.A.(2002). Graphology Fact Sheet. Retrieved February 13, 2014 from  http://www.ntskeptics.org/factsheets/graphol.htm

Male and Female Pelvic Girdles
The pelvis is the large bone structure located at the bottom of the spine, which consists of the sacrum, the hipbone, and the coccyx. There are several significant differences between male and female pelvic girdles, most of which are related to childbearing. According to Alcamo and Bergdhal (2003), the female pelvis is rounder, wider, and shallower than the male pelvis to allow the woman to accommodate a growing fetus and also, to allow exit of the baby through the pubic bones during childbirth. In contrast to the male pelvis that has a sub-pubic angle of less than 90o, the pubic arch of the female pelvis is less than 90o. The male sacrum is narrower, longer and straighter; and it also has a more pronounced sacral promontory than the female sacrum.

The information provided shows that a typical male pelvis has a width of 16," a pelvic…...

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References

Agur, A.M., Dalley, A.F. & Grant, J.C. (2013) Grant's Atlas of Anatomy. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Alcamo, I.E. & Bergdahl, J. (2003). Anatomy Coloring Workbook. New York, NY: Princeton Review Publishing, LLC.

At the time that yrd was tried in 1985 DNA technology was not capable of forensic analysis of biological evidence however; in 1997 a comparison was conducted of yrd's DNA with the bodily fluid in the rape kit that had been collected at the time of the incident resulting in yrd's exoneration for this crime. The importance of proper preservation of biological evidence is highlighted in this case and not only for the purpose of obtaining a conviction but also for the purpose of ensuring that the wrong individual is not charged, found guilty and sentenced to prison for a crime that they did not commit.
VI. Most Common Applications of lood Evidence

The work of George Schiro entitled: "Collection and Preservation of lood Evidence from Crime Scenes" states that prior to the documentation and collection of blood evidence the value of the evidence must be recognized by the crime scene…...

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Bibliography

Catalin, Marian; Andrei, Anghel, and Mitrasca, Oana (nd) Modern Methods of Collection and Preservation of Biological Evidence for Human Identification by DNA Analysis. Biochemistry Department, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Timisoara. Online available at:  http://www.oglethorpe.edu/faculty/~k_aufderheide/Forensic_Science/Web_Documents/Catalin_Andrei_Mitrasca.pdf 

Jones, Cynthia E. (2005) Evidence Destroyed, Innocence Lost: The Preservation of Biological Evidence Under Innocence Protection Statues. The American Criminal Law Review. 1 Oct 2005. Online available at:  http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/laws/1047368-1.html 

Ladd, HC and Ladd, C. (2001) Preservation and Collection of Biological Evidence. Croat Med J. 2001 Jun;42(3):225-8. Online available at:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11387627 

Schiro, George (nd) Collection and Preservation of Blood Evidence From Crime Scenes. Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory. Online available at:  http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/blood.html

DNA Cold Case
Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases

Our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are charged with the responsibility of bringing justice to every case that comes before them. Especially in the case of homicide, the importance of finding resolution through identification and prosecution (where possible) of perpetrators, is a top priority. This is true even as a considerable amount of time lapses since the emergence of a given case. hen an investigation reaches an impasse, exhausts its leads and ultimately finds itself without a trail to follow, it becomes a cold case. Cold cases typically find their way to the backburner as law enforcement agencies focus on solving crimes with more immediately available evidence. It is thus that cases go 'cold,' leaving investigators with no apparent directions to turn for resolution.

However, today, with the emergence and continued refinement in use of DNA evidence, many cold cases are receiving…...

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Works Cited:

Gast, P. (2013). Cold-case murders of 4 females brought back to life by new images, DNA tests. CNN.com.

Goldstein, S. (2013). Arizona sheriff hopes DNA, facial reconstruction, will help crack 32-year-old cold case. New York Daily News.

National Institute of Justice (NIJ). (2012). Cold Case Investigations and Forensic DNA. NIJ.gov.

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). (2011). Solicitation: Solving Cold Cases with DNA. NCJRS.gov.

Afterwards I poured the liquid through a strainer, just as it had been done with the peas in the given demonstration and I noticed that the poor substance was even thinner than the one obtained at the blender. I added 35 ml of liquid detergent and then I swirled. I waited around 9 minutes and then I moved the object of my research into three test tubes, being aware of the fact that the detergent had continued the task of the blender and has broken the sacks of the cells, allowing the DNA to be found. I poured the substance in such a way that only 1/3 of each test tube would be filled, and then I added pineapple juice, which played the role of the enzymes cutting the proteins.

After that I started to stir the mixture, making sure that my action would detain the success of my experiment by…...

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Bibliography

DNA, at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA 

Hershey a, Chase M (1952). www.jgp.orgJ Gen Physiol, pp. 36

Alberts, Bruce; Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walters (2002).   Biology of the Cell; Fourth Edition. New York and London: Garland Sciencehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?call=bv.View..ShowTOC&rid=mboc4.TOC&depth=2Molecular 

DNA Forensics, at  http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/forensics.shtml

(Aronson, 2007)
The problems and future of DNA Testing

The scientific soundness of the DNA test has not been doubted at all. Courts have increasingly relied on the outcomes of DNA tests. The common man is at a loss to understand the complexities of the method, and as a result in jury trials it is not taken as standard proof but approached with hesitancy. Jurors are ignorant of science and the 'principles of modern genetics' and can get quite confused by all the jargon and confusing tactics of lawyers who are more interested in their cases rather than scientific truth. ("DNA Fingerprinting and Forensics," 2006) Thus the very process that can throw light on the proceedings and produce unfaultable evidence gets mired in sticky debates. The actual concern about the DNA test is not a confused jury but the process of collecting the data and analyzing it. There is no safeguard…...

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References

Aronson, Jay. D. (2007) "Genetic Witness: Science, Law, and Controversy in the Making of DNA" Rutgers University Press.

Champod, Christophe. (2004) "Fingerprints and Other Ridge Skin Impressions"

CRC Press.

Lazer, David. (2004) "DNA and the Criminal Justice System: The Technology of Justice"

Forensic Chemistry
Forensics is a very important part of a crime scene investigation. There used to be a time when murders or crimes were left unsolved due to the lack of evidence. However with the advances in technology and research in forensics, crime solving has become a lot easier. The branch of science, which helps out in finding out important evidence, is known as Forensics Chemistry. Forensics Chemistry employs methods, which help in finding clues, which couldn't be found in any other circumstances. We can simply call it the application of a brand of chemistry at the scene of a crime. This is a science which helps us investigate chemical substances and can help trace the cause of the death of a human being by finding useful evidence. However it's not important that the crime scene may be a site of murder or theft. It could also be due to environmental…...

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Bibliography

Neufeld, Peter L. & Colman, Neville 1990, 'When Science Takes the Witness Stand', Scientific American, vol. 262, no. 5, May, pp. 46-53

Coelli, Andree 1989, 'One Chance in 165 Million', Australian Law News, September, pp. 22-6

Scutt, Jocelynne 1990, 'Beware of New Technologies', Legal Service Bulletin, vol. 15, no1, February, pp. 9-12.

Introduction to Forensic Chemistry

In 2002 the crime lab in the state of Mississippi found that the semen in the victim's body belonged to two different men and neither of them was Kennedy rewer. alko concludes by stating: "Forensic scandals have been troublingly common of late, with phony experts, fake results, and incompetent testing recently uncovered in Virginia, Maryland, Kansas, Illinois, and Texas, to name just a few. Courts need to take a more active role in weeding out the Michael Wests of the world before they ever take the witness stand. ut professional organizations also need to be more vigilant about policing their own. Dr. West's peers should more vocally have questioned his methods long before he was permitted to testify more than 70 times in courts across the country. One would think they'd step up their standards to protect the integrity and reputation of their profession. ut these continuing scandals suggest…...

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Bibliography

Danger to Society: Fooling the Jury with Phony Experts (nd) Chapter Three. State of Texas Law Review.

Bite Mark Evidence Dispute in Murder Cases (2008) CNN.com Crime. 29 Feb 2008. Online available at http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/29/bite.marks.ap/

Bowers, C. Michael and Johansen, Raymond J. (2001) Digital Rectification and Resizing Correction of Photographic Bite Mark Evidence. Forensic Science Communications. July 2001. Vol. 3 No. 3. Online available at;

 http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/july2001/bowers.htm

Change them often; (2) Use disposable instruments or clean them thoroughly before and after handling each sample; (3) Avoid touching the area where you believe DNA may exist; (4) avoid talking, sneezing, and coughing over evidence; (5) Avoid touching your face, nose, and mouth when collecting and packaging evidence; (6) Air-dry evidence thoroughly before packaging; and (7) Put evidence into new paper bags or envelopes, not into plastic bags. Do not use staples." (National Institute of Justice, 2007)
V. Future of CODIS

The work entitled: "Communication, Documentation and Information Services" states that in the future CODIS will "continue to place a major emphasis on upgrading technology in all areas of its responsibility." (Vest of Research, nd) in a National Institute of Justice report entitled: "The Future of Forensic DNA Testing: Predictions of the Research and Development Working Group" published in November 2000 states that "technology projections for 2010" include transition to…...

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Bibliography

Combined DNA Index System CODIS (nd) Fast Facts from the DPS. Online available at  http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_information/Fast_facts/Codis.pdf 

CODIS (2007) SAIC. Online available at  http://www.saic.com/justice/codis.html 

Lessons Learned From 9/11: DNA Identification in Mass Fatality Incidents. (2007) President's DNA Initiatives. Online available at http://www.dna.gov/uses/mass_fatalities/

Using DNA and Other Resources to Identify Missing Persons (2007) President's DNA Initiative Online available at http://www.dna.gov/uses/m_person/.

Opportunities abound in the forensics industry today, and the experts suggest that this trend is going to continue to increase in the future. The term "forensics," though, can be applied to a number of different fields; however, all of these disciplines share a common feature in that their work products are specifically used in courts of law or for other legal issues that can mean the difference between life and death in many cases. According to Black's Law Dictionary (1990), the term "forensic" means "belonging to courts of justice," while "forensic engineering" means "the application of the principles and practice of engineering to the elucidation of questions before courts of law" (p. 648). Genetic forensics refers to the diagnosis of otherwise unknown biological material based on analysis of proteins or DNA; this branch of forensics has resulted in hundreds of death row prisoners being freed after they were exonerated through…...

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References

Avise, J.C. (2004). The hope, hype & reality of genetic engineering: Remarkable stories from agriculture, industry, medicine, and the environment. New York: Oxford University

Press.

Black's law dictionary. (1990). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.

Braga, M. (2004, June 10). Tracking data on dead. Sarasota Herald Tribune, D1.

, 2005)
In the same way that traditional techniques of criminal identification have enabled law enforcement authorities to establish national fingerprint information databases for the purposes of connecting evidence to possible previous offenders, DNA-based forensic evidence has allowed the creation of similar databases greatly expanding the types of forensic evidence used to increase the security of sensitive facilities and restricted areas.

When combined with the ever-increasing power of modern computer technology to cross reference and match different types of physical evidence, law enforcement authorities have already developed the ability to establish terrorist watch lists incorporating forensic evidence of previous acts of terrorism with uniquely identifying features of perpetrators still at large. The continued evolution of such marriages between criminal forensics and identification techniques will greatly enhance homeland security, both at checkpoints and in terms of tracking the possible whereabouts and activities of persons of interest in connection with possible terrorism.

Popular Media epresentation…...

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References

Johns, L.G., Downes, G.F., Bibles, C.D. (2005). Resurrecting Cold Case Serial Homicide Investigations; the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. (Vol. 74 No. 8). Kobalinsky, L., Liotti, T.F., Oeser-Sweat, J. (2005). DNA: Forensic and Legal Applications. Hoboken: Wiley & Sons.

Markey, J. (2007). After the Match: dealing with the New Era of DNA;

The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. (Vol. 76 No. 10). Yost, J., Burke, T. (2007). Veterinary Forensics: Animals Curtailing Crime; the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. (Vol. 76 No. 10).

Forensic Pathology: Forensics and DNA
DNA is part of the building blocks of human life and individuality: "DNA is present in nearly every cell of our bodies, and we leave cells behind everywhere we go without even realizing it. Flakes of skin, drops of blood, hair, and saliva all contain DNA that can be used to identify us" (Norrgard, 2008). DNA has long been a major part of forensics testing used in criminal cases for over forty years. "At its inception, DNA testing could only be performed by laboratories with molecular diagnostic capabilities" (Calaluce, 2010, p.2). The controversy surrounding DNA testing that made it more heavily scrutinized when it first debuted largely revolved around the fact that it was considered a "soft science" and that DNA evidence was viewed as simply not as reliable as other types. However, this controversy has since been eliminated: and there is absolutely no valid scientific…...

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References

Calaluci, J. (2010). Guide to Forensic Pathology. New York: CRC Press.

Dvorsky, G. (2012, October 1). How forensic pathologists used maggots to identify an "unrecognizable" body. Retrieved from io9.com:  http://io9.com/5947925/how-forensic-pathologists-used-maggots-to-identify-a-badly-burned-body 

Norrgard, K. (2008). How ethical is it to keep a database of convicted felons' DNA profiles? Can we rely on DNA fingerprints for conviction? Many ethical issues surround the use of DNA in forensic technology. Retrieved from Nature.com:  http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/forensics-dna-fingerprinting-and-codis-736 

Rosner, D. (2004, May 20). How does DNA Fingerprinting Work. Retrieved from thenakedscientist.com:  http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/dalyacolumn8.htm/

(Human Genome Project, DNA Forensics, 2006) Examples of genetic testing use of DNA in forensic identification are: (1) identification of potential suspects from DNA left at crime scene; (2) exoneration of those wrongly accused of crimes; (3) identification of crime and catastrophe victims; (4) establishment of paternity and other family relationship; (5) identification of endangered and protected species in aiding wildlife officials and in prosecution of poachers; (6) detection of bacteria and other organisms that may be pollutants of air, water, soil and food; (7) matching of organ donors with recipients in transplant programs; (8) determination of pedigree for seed or livestock breeds; and (9) authentication of consumables such as caviar and wine. (U.S. Department of Justice, 2003; DNA Forensics, 2006) DNA typing is accomplished through obtaining DNA samples through designing "small pieces of DNA probes that will each seek out and bind to a complementary DNA sequence in…...

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Bibliography

Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology (2003) Using DNA to Solve Crimes. U.S. Department of Justice. Executive Summary. Online available at  http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/dnapolicybook_exsum.htm 

DNA Forensics (2006) Human Genome Project. U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Online available at  http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/forensics.shtml 

Genetic Testing - Patient Privacy and Discrimination Considerations (2007) American Cancer Society. Online available at  http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6X_Genetic_Testing_-_Patient_Privacy_and_Discrimination_Considerations_5.asp?sitearea= 

Guidelines for Genetic Testing (2003) Genetic-Medicine Related Societies. August 2003.

Criminal Justice in Todays SocietyAbstractThe modern-day society has evolved, and so are the security and social issues that face it. To determine the specific challenges that face todays society and thus, the criminal justice system, it requires a critical and analytical research study that will filter through the information available and determine the thematic areas that emerge as critical for modern-day criminal justice. Research for this study was done through a systematic literature review method. This research method was considered to be the most appropriate for the current research and the research question. Analysis of the information presented through the reviewed materials showed that several issues are characteristic of todays society that the criminal justice system has to address or factor in its operations to realize its mandate. These issues emerged as common from the reviewed materials; i) rehabilitative and restoration, not just punitive criminal justice, ii) racial equality, iii)…...

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BibliographyArgun, U. & Daglar, M. (2016). Examination of routine activities theory by the property crime. Journal of Human Sciences, 13(1), 1188.Bennett, M. W., & Plaut, V. C. (2017). Looking Criminal and the Presumption of Dangerousness: Afrocentric Facial Features, Skin Tone, and Criminal Justice. UCDL, Rev., 51, 745.Daly, K. (2012). Aims of the criminal justice system. Crime and justice: A guide to criminology, 289-406.Epperson, M., & Pettus-Davis, C. (Eds.). (2017). Smart decarceration: Achieving criminal justice transformation in the 21st century. Oxford University Press. LeClerc, B., & Savona, E. U. (Eds.). (2016). Crime Prevention in the 21st century: insightful approaches for crime prevention initiatives. Springer.Lee, N., & Loton, D. (2019). Capstone purposes across disciplines. Studies in Higher Education, 44(1), 134-150.Manaliyo, J.C. (2016). Barriers to community participation in crime prevention in low-income communities in Cape Town. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, 8(1).Matthews, R. (2020). New times, new crimes: Notes on the depillarization of the criminal justice system. Critical Criminology.Owusu-Bempah, A. (2017). Race and policing in historical context: Dehumanization and the policing of Black people in the 21st century. Theoretical Criminology, 21(1), 23-34.Ransley, J., & Mazerolle, L. (2009). Policing in an era of uncertainty. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, 10(4), 365-381.Schmalleger, F., Donaldson, S., Kashiwahara, K., Koppal, T., Chase, S., Brown, A., ... & Marash, D. (2014). Criminal justice today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Tompson, L., & Belur, J. (2016). Information retrieval in systematic reviews: a case study of the crime prevention literature. Journal of experimental criminology, 12(2), 187-207.

The Death Penalty should not be considered as something that people desire, but as a form of punishment whose purpose is to deter crimes from being committed. Those who support this form of punishment believe that this is the only way that society can make sure that people who consider committing serious crimes can be stopped. There is a strong sentiment that those who commit the kind of crimes that would warrant the death penalty should not be put into prison for life. It is believed that this still presents these people with the opportunity to offend again.

eferences

Anderson, David. (2008). Arguments for the Death Penalty. etrieved May 25, 2010, from Web

site: http://sites.google.com/site/yesdeathpenalty/home2

Death Penalty Arguments: Deterrent or evenge. (2001). etrieved May 24, 2010, from Web

site: http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ornellaspaper.htm

Hinton, Patrick. (2009). The Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty. etrieved May 25, 2010, from Suite 101 Web site:

http://americanaffairs.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_pros_and_cons_of_the_death_penalty

In Support of the Death Penalty. (n.d.).…...

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References

Anderson, David. (2008). Arguments for the Death Penalty. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from Web

site:  http://sites.google.com/site/yesdeathpenalty/home2 

Death Penalty Arguments: Deterrent or Revenge. (2001). Retrieved May 24, 2010, from Web

site:  http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ornellaspaper.htm