Assignment: The Science of Evidence
You evaluated on-scene analysis and documentation. This week, the focus will shift to the scientific processes accomplished within the crime laboratory. In addition to the scientific processes, it is important to understand the standards applied to determine if the scientific process and its results can or should be admitted at trial. While science uses the peer review process to evaluate credibility, the courts also use case law to evaluate the standards for forensic science.
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, please review the following:
• From the text:
o Chapter 5: Forensic Toxicology
o Chapter10: Blood and Other Biological Fluids
o Chapter 11: DNA Analysis
• The articles:
o Surrogate Testimony After Williams: A New Answer to the Question of Who May Testify Regarding the Contents of a Laboratory Report
o What Happens If Autopsy Reports Are Found Testimonial? The Next Steps to Ensure the Admissibility of These Critical Documents in Criminal Trials
o To Analyse a Trace or Not? Evaluating the Decision-Making Process in the Criminal Investigation
o Examining the Role of Science in the Courtroom: Admissibility and Reliability of Forensic Science in the Courtroom
o Testing the Testimonial Doctrine: The impact of Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts on State-level Criminal Prosecutions an Procedure
• The e-book Forensic Science Evidence: Can the Law Keep up with Science?
• From the video Forensic Science in Action: From Crime Scene to Courtroom: Segment 6. Forensics: Examination of the Victim 03:25
• The video Duties of a Forensic Scientist in the Forensic Biology Lab shown above.
You must use at least three Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in addition to the course text.
You are also strongly encouraged to review the recommended sources, which may further support this assignment.
In your paper, address the following:
• Evaluate the evolution of forensic science, focusing on the types of scientific analysis conducted in crime laboratories.
• Explain how the changes in science and evidence processing over the last century have affected the criminal justice system.
• Describe at least four major types of scientific testing conducted by crime laboratories.
• Describe the evidentiary value of the four major testing processes identified.
• Analyze the current standards (based on case law) for admitting scientific evidence at trial, specifically addressing the four types of scientific testing identified in your paper.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.