Chuahiock,Brian

Escueta,David
Panday,Pierre
Tangonan,Julius
Yu,Smile

1.Definitionofcriminalistics.

Criminalisticsisoneofmanydivisionsinthefieldofforensicscience.Forensicscienceincludes
forensicpathology,odontology,entomology,engineering,criminology,andotherdisciplines.All
ofthesearespecializedsectionsinforensicscience.

Itisalsoknownasforensicscienceanditistheapplicationofvarioussciencestoanswer
questionsrelatingtoexaminationandcomparisonofbiologicalevidence,traceevidence,
impressionevidence(suchasfingerprints,footwearimpressions,andtiretracks),controlled
substances,ballistics,firearmandtoolmarkexamination,andotherevidenceincriminal
investigations.IntypicalcircumstancesevidenceisprocessedinaCrimelab.

Criminalisticsshouldnotbeconfusedwiththefieldofcriminology.Criminologistsare
sociologists,psychologists,andotherswhostudythecausesandeffectsofcrimeonsociety.

2.Whatdoesacriminalistdo?

Acriminalist(oralsoknownasacrimescenetechnician,examiner,orinvestigator)isaperson
whosearchesfor,collects,andpreservesphysicalevidenceintheinvestigationofcrimeand
suspectedcriminals[seejobdescription].Theytypicallyworkincityorregionalcrimelabsand
areexpectedtodomorethantheforensicscientistsandcrimelabtechniciansthere.

Theyareexpectedtobeoncall24hoursadaytogoouttocrimescenes,franklywhenand
wheredetectivesarestumped.Somejurisdictionsrequirethepresenceofacriminalistatall
majorcrimescenes.Theservicesofacriminalistareusedatthebeginningofacase.By
contrast,theservicesofaforensicscientistareprimarilyusedattheend,orcourtroom
testimonyphase,ofacase.Allcrimelabemployeesmustbereadytoofferexperttestimonyin
court,however.

Forthecriminalist,crimesceneinvestigationinvolvestherecognition,documentation,collection,
preservation,andinterpretationofphysicalevidencewhichmaybeasbigasatruckorassmall
asadiatomorpollengrain.Recognitionofitemsoutofplace,articlesimproperlylocatedor
itemsaddedtothecrimesceneareanimportantpartofcrimesceneprocessing.Thecriminalist
collects,preserves,andmakesinterpretationsabouttheevidenceandtheirrelationtotheseries
ofeventsresultingatthecrimescene.

Thecriminalistbringsevidencebacktothelaboratorywhereexaminationswillbeconducted.

Interpretationsaremadeabouttherelevanceofaparticularitemfromthecrimesceneby
associatingparticularitemsofevidencetospecificsourcesandreconstructingthecrimescene.
Thismeansnotonlyassociatingasuspectwithascenebutalsothetellingofastoryaboutwhat
transpiredbefore,duringandafterthecrime.Thecriminalistmustdrawonawidespectrumof
scientificknowledgeincludingchemistry,biology,genetics,molecularbiology,physics,statistics
andaworkingknowledgeofcivilandcriminallaw.Applyingthisknowledge,criminalistwill
associateandidentifyevidence,interprettheresults,reconstructthecrimescene,andwritea
reportsummarizingthefindings.

Finally,thecriminalisttestifiesincourtsoflaw,teachingthejudgeandjuryaboutthe
conclusionsreachedinthelaboratory.

3.Whatroledotheyplayinlegalproceedings?

Criminalistsusuallygetcalledtotestifyaboutmattersofcontamination,crosscontamination,
andchainofcustody,butmanyofthem(seniorcriminalists)havedevelopedaninterpretive
expertise,forexample,inbloodspatteranalysis,traceevidence,impressionevidence,ordrug
identification,aswellasskillsatcrimereconstructionandsometimesprofiling(Levinson&
Almog1989).

Thecriminalisttellsthetruthinanunbiasedmanner,educatingthejurorsaboutthetechniques
thatwereused,theresultsobtainedandinterpretationsderivedfromthoseconclusions.The
criminalistmustanswerthequestionposedsothattheiranswerisnotmisleadingthejurors.If
thequestionposedrequiresayesornoanswerbutanexplanationisneededtoexplaintheyes
ornoanswer,theyareobligatedtogiveanexplanation.Professionally,thecriminalistdoesnot
carewhetherthedefendantisfoundguiltyornotguilty.Presentationoftheevidenceinafair
andunbiasedmannerandtellingthetrutharetheprimaryobligationsofthecriminalist.

4.Casewherecriminalisticswasvitaltothelegalproceeding.
Case:

Facts

Issues

Resolution