Essay Example on Combining Law and Forensic Science: A New Path to Justice

Introduction

Law and forensic science are typically seen as two different disciplines. In most instances, forensic science is presumed to be factual, whereas law has multiple interpretations. Law and science use different approaches to reach conclusions. Based on these differences, miscommunication leads to justice miscarriages (Bitzer, 2019). Thus, people work hard to address the challenges of making those employed in the criminal justice system to learn more about forensic science. Because the criminal justice system may have limited evidence to support their claims, forensic science is the best approach to embrace to solve different crimes scientifically.

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Forensic Science and Criminal Justice

Ideally, there exist many factors that lead to a lack of understanding between people involved in court operation and forensic science (Collie, 2018). Although forensic science plays a crucial role in most criminal justice system activities, the word "forensic" creates a vibrant imagery' cascade, which involves intrigue and crime. Forensic is a DNA' buzzword, rape kits, semen stains, death investigation, gore, autopsy, fingerprints, bullet wounds, and bite marks that cannot be ignored. Forensic science refers to application and study of science to the law (Collie, 2018). The definition itself is broad, which implies that almost anything like computer enthusiasts who play a role in hacking into the sexual predators' hard drives is considered as forensic computer technicians, and those engaged in accounting are deemed as forensic accountants. The forensic science field is on continuous growth if specialization and division of labor are explored, the list even becomes longer. With ever-rising numbers of experts in the forensic science field that enhance a multitude of new techniques and technology, it astonishing that even the court cannot comply with the pace.

Since its inception, forensic science has embedded different varieties in popular culture. In the past, before it was applied in criminal investigations, modern approaches like blood spatter analysis, document examination, and fingerprints, and most were first incorporated into science via Sherlock Holmes, famous fictional detectives (Bitzer, 2019). The duties ranged from examining the human body after death and breath of a drunk analysis.

Across the globe, forensic scientists are credited for expanding their procedures and doctrines apply to contrast or classify physical information collected from crime scenes. Today, there are logical methods and approaches used within the Criminal Justice System. The approaches entail the use of legal questions to solve crimes. Other procedures are using medical experts, fingerprints, autopsy, and other forms of identification.

Forensic science, such as the use of fingerprints, is applied by law enforcement agencies across the globe. When the criminal justice system seeks their assistance, they can pursue suspects and get a correct conviction. Every criminal justice system needs a forensic scientist to collect, interpret, and analyze data acquired from different crime scenes. Forensic scientist plays a vital role in training other law enforcement experts (Becker et al., 2018). Their work is not limited as they can also operate in lab, field, teach learners, and collect data within a criminal justice system.

In a criminal justice system, forensic scientist performs difficult tasks such as being an expert witness. They are encouraged to testify before the court when they are under pressure to give accurate information without leaving any detail. From here, the court can determine whether the accused is guilty or not, to avoid stressfully cases. Interestingly, forensic scientist analyzes to solve the crime by figuring out what could have happened in the entire process.

Anthropometry

Anthropometry is the science of measurement of body mass, shape, size, and other inertial properties. In 1890, Alphonse Bertillon designed anthropometry that lasted for about 20 years before fingerprint identification was introduced. Alphonse's approach, interest, and knowledge were highly influenced by Louis Bertillon, his father. In 1879, he proposed an identification approach that applied anthropology body measurement (Becker et al., 2018). The method used some probability measurements, such as the odds for any specific measure. Based on its success, anthropometry spread across the globe, with the US adopting it in 1887, which was later followed by the UK in 1894.

Anthropometry falls short of its intended purpose based on the growing exploration of the fingerprint technique for comparison reasons. Bertillon struggles to resist the use of fingerprints to defend that his approach was the best for identification. Surprisingly, in 1902, Bertillon was the first European to handle the murder case using fingerprints successfully (Jenkinson, 2017). However, anthropometry failed tremendously by making significant errors in Mona Lisa's theft case of her painting of 1911, the William West and Will Case of 1903, and Dreyfuse's case of 1894.

Sir Francis Galton

Sir Francis Galton, is known to be the pioneer in fingerprint identification on the groundwork. Galton was the first person to have scientifically proven how fingerprints can be applied to identify people. Galton explored fingerprints in the early 1880s to investigate his hereditary traits. He was committed to his studies by researching how fingerprints remain constant in a person's life and that no two fingerprints can be exactly alike. In 1892, Galton published a book where he listed in his findings three consisted of fingerprint types, namely arch, whorl, and a loop which are existing now. Law enforcement never hesitated to recognize the need and the value of fingerprint evidence (Collie, 2018). Galton's study involved collecting large print samples via his anthropological laboratories, where he had amassed about 800 sets. Galton's research of minutiae in print created a platform for a meaningful comparison of several prints. Such that there is a need to develop a statistical proof of the study's uniqueness by individual prints' minutiae. A British official stationed in India, Sir Edward Richard Henry, decided to create a fingerprint identification system for Indian criminals based on the knowledge of Galton. A police official, Juan Vucetich in Argentina, used the same findings to develop a fingerprint system.

Doctor Edmond Locard

Doctor Edmond Locard, regarded as Sherlock Holmes of France, was a forensic scientist. He purposes to study medicine in Lyon, where he had an interest in medicine and science matters. Locard is deemed as the pioneer of criminology and forensic science. He created different approaches to forensic analysis that are still in operation. He worked towards the study of fingerprints or dactylography. Locard posits that when the twelve' comparison points are found between two fingerprints, it will imply that there is enough evidence for identification. His dactylography was preferred over Bertillon's anthropometry.

Today, his famous contribution is termed as "Locard's Exchange Principle." The principle states that it is impossible for a criminal to act based on the crime' intensity without leavings present traces (Becker et al., 2018). In other words, if a person commits a crime, they are more likely to leave their marks at the scene when taking something simultaneously from the scene before they go. Today, the phenomenon is considered as a trace. Just like Sherlock Holmes, Locard tends to separate facts from fantasy at crime scenes by using fingerprints.

Will and William West Case

In 1903, upon arriving at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansa, a man by the name Will West was briefed that he was already serving a first-degree murder's life sentence. A Bertillon identification system was used, and his face matched completely with William West, whose details were in the same prison's database having engaged in a criminal act. Strangely, they had the same name with almost identical facial appearances but completely different persons.

In 1991, William West, a convicted criminal, arrived at the US Penitentiary in Leavenworth, McClaughry, took his Bertillon measures, in a formal procedure for the clerks, compiled his archive file, and briefed William West about prison's rule and the number of cells. A French researcher Alphonse Bertillon had used his method Bertillon system to identify crime (Jenkinson, 2017). The United States implemented the network in 1887, where detailed inmates' card was stored. The procedure was as simple as only the face of an inmate captured in a criminal mug shot. In the early stages, its operation was unquestionable as pictures were used to identify the criminals and their full names. However, after two decades, there was this striking case of resemblance and the same name to boot.

Later on, the same clerk receives another convicted criminal, where he took the same measurement as required in the Bertillon system, and immediately a file name of William West appeared from the archives (Becker et al., 2018). The clerk was confused to ask the felon on what he has done again. Will, a confused victim, posited that it was his first time at Leavenworth, and also it was his first time to be convicted. As usual, no criminal admits his offenses, so the clerk was not startled with Will's remarks (Jenkinson, 2017). Surprisingly, the file that popped up was for an inmate still serving his prison sentences. When examining the man again, he realizes that Will had exact positioning of the eyes, mouth shape, equal nose length, and bone structure as that William. The clerk performed another double-check to be sure and substantiate if a clone of inmates was directly before him.

To avoid such confusion in the future and also fueled by a breakthrough of dactyloscopy by convicting and identify a criminal using their fingerprints, the prison had no option but to adopt the use fingerprints identification system over Bertillon system (Jenkinson, 2017). The fingerprints identification system is considered as the most reliable approach of identification. In Will and William's case, the fingerprint identification system was the most reliable technique in 1905, where the two inmates displayed a completely different pattern.

Conclusion

In conclusion, across the globe, forensic scientists are credited for expanding their procedures and doctrines apply to contrast or classify physical information collected from crime scenes. Today, there are logical methods and approaches used within the Criminal Justice System. The approaches entail the use of legal questions to solve crimes. Other procedures are using medical experts, fingerprints, autopsy, Bertillon system, and other forms of identification. The fingerprints identification system is considered as the most reliable approach of identification. In Will and William's case, the fingerprint identification system was the most reliable technique in 1905, where the two inmates displayed a completely different pattern.

References

Becker, R. F., & Dutelle, A. W. (2018). Criminal investigation. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Bitzer, S. (2019). The influence of Forensic Advisors on the use of forensic science in the Belgian criminal justice system. Forensic Science International, 296, 123-131.

Collie, J. (2018). Digital forensic evidence-Flaws in the criminal justice system. Forensic Science International, 289, 154-155.

Jenkinson, H. (2017). Identified. JAMA dermatology, 153(10), 982-982.