Special Agent Michael Santini offers an inside account of the takedown of MS-13 in San Francisco-one of the largest federal takedowns of a criminal gang in U.S. history. In a bid to take down MS-13's criminal network in the Mission District of San Francisco, Michael Santini, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, recruits a pair of hardened gang members and convinces them to risk their lives as criminal informants. Set in a city with one of the strictest sanctuary policies protecting illegal immigrants in America, Operation Devil Horns illustrates how politically correct ideology impacts life-or-death crime fighting on the streets. Through the informants' eyes, Operation Devil Horns offers a rare glimpse into the pervasive criminal subculture of MS-13, a gang of Spanish-speaking immigrants that still terrorizes pockets of American society today - including their own compatriots. The case begins with a focus on the gang in San Francisco, eventually widening to include a network that reaches across borders. Santini tracks down the gang's leadership from the Bay Area to the prison cells of corrupt Central American regimes. Eventually, it takes the cold-blooded murder of three family members in San Francisco to shake the American public out of complacency and focus sober attention on a growing and violent threat. This is the story of a dedicated team of special agents, federal prosecutors, and local police who overcome political and legal challenges to take down more than two dozen violent criminal targets.

The field of forensic linguistics is a niche area that has not enjoyed much participation from the African continent. The theme of language and the law in this book is one that straddles two important aspects of the legal history of South Africa in particular, and how it has impacted on the country’s legal and education systems. The declaration, by the United Nations, of 2019 as ‘The International Year of Indigenous Languages’ is opportune, not only for the launch of this book, but for what its research content tells us of the strides taken in ensuring access to justice for all citizens of the world in a language they understand.

The contributions by authors in this book tell the story of many African citizens, and those hailing from beyond our borders, who straddle the challenges of linguistic and legal pluralism in courtrooms across their respective countries. It is our hope that the contributions made in this book will assist in ensuring human rights become a reality for global citizens where indigenous voices have not been heard; and that these citizens will be free to give their testimonies in a language of their choice, and that they may be heard and understood.

Just as people are captivated by murder mysteries, detective stories, and legal shows, they are also compulsively interested in the history of criminal justice. Looking Back in Crime: What Happened on This Day in Criminal Justice History? features a treasure trove of important dates and significant events in criminal justice history. Offering hundreds of facts with particular relevance to criminal justice, this unique textbook is written in a manner that is accessible to students and anyone else interested in the history of criminal justice. It presents at least one significant event for every day of the year; in some instances, there are several facts presented for the same date. Among the comprehensive listing of events there are famous and not-so-famous crimes; the development of law enforcement; criminal trials; passages of criminal laws; Supreme Court decisions; important dates related to prisons, punishment, and corrections; forensic milestones and cultural events that intersect with crime and criminal justice. Offering a unique breadth of coverage, the book adopts an interesting and engaging style to inspire enthusiasm in the classroom. It is suitable for use as a supplemental text in criminal justice history courses or as a main text in special issues courses. With this book, students will learn about hundreds of events that usually cannot be covered in depth in any typical criminal justice class. The book provides students with a better sense of history in terms of crime, law enforcement, and the justice system as well as an understanding of specific events and circumstances in the history and development of today's criminal justice system.

Throughout history, there has been an intrinsic need for humans to detect deception in other humans. Developed in 1923, the polygraph machine was a tool designed to do just this. To date, there have been many improvements made to the basic polygraph instrument. This book outlines the instrumentation as well as the latest in questioning techniques and methods available to the professional interviewer to determine truth from deception. The book covers psychology and physiology, a history of polygraph with the advances of leading figures, question formulation, data analysis, legal implications and legal cases, and the author's developed technique Integrated Zone Comparison Technique (IZCT).

Communication in Forensic Contexts provides in-depth coverage of the complex area of communication in forensic situations. Drawing on expertise from forensic psychology, linguistics and law enforcement worldwide, the text bridges the gap between these fields in a definitive guide to best practice. * Offers best practice for understanding and improving communication in forensic contexts, including interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects, discourse in courtrooms, and discourse via interpreters * Bridges the knowledge gaps between forensic psychology, forensic linguistics and law enforcement, with chapters written by teams bringing together expertise from each field * Published in collaboration with the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group, dedicated to furthering evidence-based practice and practice-based research amongst researchers and practitioners * International, cross-disciplinary team includes contributors from North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, and from psychology, linguistics and forensic practice

This book explores recent developments in forensic science research, including invisible radiation imaging, providing important insights into evidence normally beyond the visual experience of investigators. Additionally, establishing the interval between the time of death and when a body is found is one of the most complex questions to be answered by forensic scientists. The second chapter examines new approaches in postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Finally, in forensic medicine, the diagnosis of a corpse immersed in water in which a differentiation must be made between death from drowning or dead on entering the water, is made mainly using the diatom test by acid digestion. The authors assess the 16S rDNA gene of picoplankton from tissues. The results verified that the detection of phytoplanton DNA in the liver and kidney is the most important evidence for the diagnosis of death from drowning.

DNA evidence offers prosecutors an important tool in the identification and apprehension of violent criminals, particularly in sexual assault cases. At the same time, DNA evidence can be used to exonerate the innocent. By highlighting the importance and utility of DNA evidence, this book presents challenges to the scientific and criminal justice communities. These challenges involve maintaining high standards for collecting and preserving DNA evidence, ensuring that DNA testing methodologies meet rigorous scientific criteria for reliability and accuracy, and increasing the proficiency and credibility of forensic scientists so their results and testimony are of the highest caliber, able to withstand exacting scrutiny. Commentaries and profiles of DNA exculpatory cases are presented to illustrate the power and potential of DNA evidence. Policy implications of DNA testing and use as evidence are also discussed.

In "Forensic Media," Greg Siegel considers how photographic, electronic, and digital media have been used to record and reconstruct accidents, particularly high-speed crashes and catastrophes. Focusing in turn on the birth of the field of forensic engineering, Charles Babbage's invention of a "self-registering apparatus" for railroad trains, flight-data and cockpit voice recorders ("black boxes"), the science of automobile crash-testing, and various accident-reconstruction techniques and technologies, Siegel shows how "forensic media" work to transmute disruptive chance occurrences into reassuring narratives of causal succession. Through historical and philosophical analyses, he demonstrates that forensic media are as much technologies of cultural imagination as they are instruments of scientific inscription, as imbued with ideological fantasies as they are compelled by institutional rationales. By rethinking the historical links and cultural relays between accidents and forensics, Siegel sheds new light on the corresponding connections between media, technology, and modernity.

"This book should have a place on the bookshelf of every forensic scientist who cares about the science of evidence interpretation" Dr. Ian Evett, Principal Forensic Services Ltd, London, UK Continuing developments in science and technology mean that the amounts of information forensic scientists are able to provide for criminal investigations is ever increasing. The commensurate increase in complexity creates difficulties for scientists and lawyers with regard to evaluation and interpretation, notably with respect to issues of inference and decision. Probability theory, implemented through graphical methods, and specifically Bayesian networks, provides powerful methods to deal with this complexity. Extensions of these methods to elements of decision theory provide further support and assistance to the judicial system. Bayesian Networks for Probabilistic Inference and Decision Analysis in Forensic Science provides a unique and comprehensive introduction to the use of Bayesian decision networks for the evaluation and interpretation of scientific findings in forensic science, and for the support of decision-makers in their scientific and legal tasks. Includes self-contained introductions to probability and decision theory. Develops the characteristics of Bayesian networks, object-oriented Bayesian networks and their extension to decision models. Features implementation of the methodology with reference to commercial and academically available software. Presents standard networks and their extensions that can be easily implemented and that can assist in the reader s own analysis of real cases. Provides a technique for structuring problems and organizing data based on methods and principles of scientific reasoning. Contains a method for the construction of coherent and defensible arguments for the analysis and evaluation of scientific findings and for decisions based on them. Is written in a lucid style, suitable for forensic scientists and lawyers with minimal mathematical background. Includes a foreword by Ian Evett. The clear and accessible style of this second edition makes this book ideal for all forensic scientists, applied statisticians and graduate students wishing to evaluate forensic findings from the perspective of probability and decision analysis. It will also appeal to lawyers and other scientists and professionals interested in the evaluation and interpretation of forensic findings, including decision making based on scientific information.

"Misleading DNA Evidence: A Guide for Scientists, Judges, and Lawyers" presents the reasons miscarriages of justice can occur when dealing with DNA, what the role of the forensic scientist is throughout the process, and how judges and lawyers can educate themselves about all of the possibilities to consider when dealing with cases that involve DNA evidence.

DNA has become the gold standard by which a person can be placed at the scene of a crime, and the past decade has seen great advances in this powerful crime solving tool. But the statistics that analysts can attach to DNA evidence often vary, and in some cases the statistical weight assigned to that match, can vary enormously. The numbers provided to juries often overstate the evidence, and can result in a wrongful conviction. In addition to statistics, the way the evidence is collected, stored and analyzed can also result in a wrongful conviction due to contamination.

This book reviews high-profile and somewhat contentious cases to illustrate these points, including the death of Meredith Kercher. It examines crucial topics such as characterization of errors and determination of error rates, reporting DNA profiles and the source and sub-source levels, and the essentials of statement writing. It is a concise, readable resource that will help not only scientists, but legal professionals with limited scientific backgrounds, to understand the intricacies of DNA use in the justice system.
Ideal reference for scientists and for those without extensive scientific backgroundsWritten by one of the pioneers in forensic DNA typing and interpretation of DNA profiling resultsIdeal format for travel, court environments, or wherever easy access to reference material is vital

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the fundamental building block for an individual's entire genetic make-up. DNA is a powerful tool for law enforcement investigations because each person's DNA is different from that of every other individual (except for identical twins). DNA can be extracted from a number of sources, such as hair, bone, teeth, saliva, and blood. As early as the 1980s, states began enacting laws that required collecting DNA samples from offenders convicted of certain sexual and other violent crimes. The samples were then analysed and their profiles entered into state databases. Meanwhile, the FBI laboratory convened a working group of federal, state, and local forensic scientists to establish guidelines for the use of forensic DNA analysis in laboratories. This book provides an overview of how DNA is used to investigate crimes and help protect the innocent. It reviews current statutory law on collecting DNA samples, sharing DNA profiles, and providing access to post-conviction DNA testing.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Security Smarts for the Self-Guided IT ProfessionalFind out how to excel in the field of computer forensics investigations. Learn what it takes to transition from an IT professional to a computer forensic examiner in the private sector. Written by a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Computer Forensics: InfoSec Pro Guide is filled with real-world case studies that demonstrate the concepts covered in the book. You'll learn how to set up a forensics lab, select hardware and software, choose forensic imaging procedures, test your tools, capture evidence from different sources, follow a sound investigative process, safely store evidence, and verify your findings. Best practices for documenting your results, preparing reports, and presenting evidence in court are also covered in this detailed resource. Computer Forensics: InfoSec Pro Guide features: Lingo-Common security terms defined so that you're in the know on the job IMHO-Frank and relevant opinions based on the author's years of industry experience Budget Note-Tips for getting security technologies and processes into your organization's budget In Actual Practice-Exceptions to the rules of security explained in real-world contexts Your Plan-Customizable checklists you can use on the job now Into Action-Tips on how, why, and when to apply new skills and techniques at work

"Cybercrime Investigation Case Studies "is a "first look" excerpt from Brett Shavers' new Syngress book, "Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard. "Case studies are an effective method of learning the methods and processes that were both successful and unsuccessful in real cases. Using a variety of case types, including civil and criminal cases, with different cybercrimes, a broad base of knowledge can be gained by comparing the cases against each other. The primary goal of reviewing successful cases involving suspects using technology to facilitate crimes is to be able to find and use the same methods in future cases. This "first look" teaches you how to place the suspect behind the keyboard using case studies.

"Investigative Case Management "is a "first look" excerpted from Brett Shavers' new Syngress book, "Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard. "Investigative case management is more than just organizing your case files. It includes the analysis of all evidence collected through digital examinations, interviews, surveillance, and other data sources. In order to place a suspect behind any keyboard, supporting evidence needs to be collected and attributed to a person. This first look provides you with traditional and innovative methods of data analysis to identify and eliminate suspects through a combination of supporting methods of analysis.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. The Most Complete and Up-to-Date Resource on Forensic Structural EngineeringThoroughly revised and featuring contributions from leading experts, this definitive handbook offers comprehensive treatment of forensic structural engineering and expert witness delivery. From exploring the possible origins of errors, through investigating and analyzing failures, to working with the legal profession for assigning responsibilities, Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook, Second Edition covers every important topic in the field. The design and construction process Design and construction safety codes, standards, and regulations Standard of care and duty to perform First steps and legal concerns after a failure Engineering investigation of failures Origins and causes of failures Loads and hazards Design errors, construction defects, and project miscommunication Defects, deterioration, and durability Mechanisms and analyses of failures in steel, concrete, masonry, timber, and temporary structures; building envelope; and structural foundations Litigation and dispute resolution The expert consultant and witness

In an effort to modernize criminal and civil investigations, early Bolsheviks gave forensic doctors-most of whom had been trained under the tsarist regime-new authority over issues of sexuality. Revolutionaries believed that forensic medicine could provide scientific and objective solutions to sexual disorder in the new society. Bolshevik Sexual Forensics explores the institutional history of Russian and Soviet forensic medicine and examines the effects of its authority when confronting sexual disorder. Healey compares sex crime investigations from Petrograd and Sverdlovsk in the 1920s to the numerous publications by forensic doctors and psychiatrists of the prerevolutionary and early Soviet periods to illustrate the role that these specialists played. In addition, Healey presents a fascinating look at how doctors diagnosed and treated hermaphroditism, showing how Soviet physicians revolutionized the standard scientific view in these cases by taking into account individual desire. This study sheds light on unexplored radical and reactionary forces that shaped the Bolshevik "sexual revolution" as lawmakers defined new ways of seeing sexual crime and disorder. Forensic doctors struggled to interpret the replacement of the age of consent with a standard of "sexual maturity," a designation that made female sexuality a collective "resource," not part of an individual's personality. "Innocence," "experience," and virginity played a major role in the expertise doctors furnished in rape and abuse trials. Psychiatrists recoiled from the language of sexual psychology in their investigations of sex criminals. Yet in the clinic, Soviet physicians probed the desires of the two-sexed citizen, whose psychology served as the basis for a distinctly modern approach to the "erasure" of the hermaphrodite. Healey concludes that the vision of men and women as equals after a "sexual revolution" was undermined from the outset of the Soviet experiment. Law and medicine failed to protect women and girls from violence, and Soviet medicine's physiological and biological model of sexual citizenship erased the vision of sexual self-expression, especially for women. This groundbreaking study will appeal to Soviet historians and those interested in gender studies, sexuality, medicine, and forensics.

The need to professionally and successfully conduct computer forensic investigations of incidents and crimes has never been greater. This has caused an increased requirement for information about the creation and management of computer forensic laboratories and the investigations themselves. This includes a great need for information on how to cost-effectively establish and manage a computer forensics laboratory. This book meets that need: a clearly written, non-technical book on the topic of computer forensics with emphasis on the establishment and management of a computer forensics laboratory and its subsequent support to successfully conducting computer-related crime investigations.
* Provides guidance on creating and managing a computer forensics lab
* Covers the regulatory and legislative environment in the US and Europe
* Meets the needs of IT professionals and law enforcement as well as consultants

Can modern science tell us what happened to Amelia Earhart? The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has spent fifteen years searching for the famous lost pilot using everything from archival research and archaeological survey to side-scan sonar and the analysis of radio wave propagation. In this spellbinding book, four of TIGHAR's scholars offer tantalizing evidence that the First Lady of the Air and her navigator Fred Noonan landed on an uninhabited tropical island but perished before they could be rescued. Do they have Amelia's shoe? Parts of her airplane? Are her bones tucked away in a hospital in Fiji? Come join their fascinating expedition and examine the evidence for yourself The new paperback edition brings the search up to the present, including tantalizing evidence of campfires and charred bones found on remote Nikumaroro. Visit the Authors' Web page for more information.

Forensic science is in crisis and at a cross-roads. Movies and television dramas depict forensic heroes with high-tech tools and dazzling intellects who-inside an hour, notwithstanding commercials-piece together past-event puzzles from crime scenes and autopsies. Likewise, Sherlock Holmes-the iconic fictional detective, and the invention of forensic doctor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-is held up as a paragon of forensic and scientific inspiration-does not "reason forward" as most people do, but "reasons backwards." Put more plainly, rather than learning the train of events and seeing whether the resultant clues match those events, Holmes determines what happened in the past by looking at the clues. Impressive and infallible as this technique appears to be-it must be recognized that infallibility lies only in works of fiction. Reasoning backward does not work in real life: reality is far less tidy. In courtrooms everywhere, innocent people pay the price of life imitating art, of science following detective fiction. In particular, this book looks at the long and disastrous shadow cast by that icon of deductive reasoning, Sherlock Holmes. In The Sherlock Effect, author Dr. Thomas W. Young shows why this Sherlock-Holmes-style reasoning does not work and, furthermore, how it can-and has led-to wrongful convictions. Dr. Alan Moritz, one of the early pioneers of forensic pathology in the United States, warned his colleagues in the 1950's about making the Sherlock Holmes error. Little did Moritz realize how widespread the problem would eventually become, involving physicians in all other specialties of medicine and not just forensic pathologists. Dr. Young traces back how this situation evolved, looking back over the history of forensic medicine, revealing the chilling degree to which forensic experts fail us every day. While Dr. Young did not want to be the one to write this book, he has felt compelled in the interest of science and truth. This book is measured, well-reasoned, accessible, insightful, and-above all-compelling. As such, it is a must-read treatise for forensic doctors, forensic practitioners and students, judges, lawyers adjudicating cases in court, and anyone with an interest in forensic science.