The use of genetics for the resolution of legal conflicts has recently been gaining a higher profile, largely as a result of scientific and technological advancements and the substantial broadening of applications. The theoretical framework underlying forensic genetics is the same irrespective of the materials and technology involved, however a great divide still exists in the manner and processes related to human and non-human analyses.This advanced handbook intends to overcome the historical barriers between the scientific fields of legal medicine, biodiversity and conservation, and food analysis by presenting a unifying, global perspective on the implications of genetic analyses on forensic affairs. This global perspective is presented in three parts: modes of inheritance and reproduction and taxonomic implications; current technological approaches and future perspectives; and a comprehensive systematization of the types of applications and organisms. Finally, a critical revision of the current investigative/expert systems and future perspectives is undertaken.This book provides a collection of international research, thereby constituting a reference platform for the forensic community and an advanced textbook for graduate students. It encompasses the theoretical bases of the field, and presents in the context of both perspectives of forensic action - probative and investigative - a comprehensive coverage of the current applications and technological state of the art.

Expert evidence presents a number of challenges to the legal system: how can the courts ensure that the scientific evidence they admit is reliable? How should statistical evidence be presented to juries? What aspects of human nature should experts be allowed to testify on? How can the effects that adversarial tactics have on expert witnesses be restrained? This book explores these questions. Drawing on work in psychology, the philosophy and sociology of science, probability theory, forensic science, as well as on a broad spectrum of legal writings, Redmayne suggests how the challenges of expert evidence can be met.

Materials Analysis in Forensic Science will serve as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching materials analysis in forensic science. In addition, it will prove an excellent library reference for forensic practitioners to use in their casework. Coverage includes methods, textiles, explosives, glass, coatings, geo-and bio-materials, and marks and impressions, as well as information on various other materials and professional issues the reader may encounter. Edited by a world-renowned leading forensic expert, the book is a long overdue solution for the forensic science community.

The utilization of footwear impression evidence continues to evolve with new materials, equipment and techniques, providing an increased ability to detect, record, enhance, and examine this form of evidence. Recently developed technology now allows investigators to more efficiently or, in some cases, instantly link multiple crime scenes where impressions have been produced by the same perpetrator. Forensic Footwear Evidence covers a wide range of relevant topics, including historical references, general information about the formation and investigative use of footwear impressions, and the best practices and considerations that apply to the recovery, enhancement, and examination of this evidence. Drawing on the author's 44 years of acquired knowledge and experience, it is the most comprehensive and authoritative text published to date on this topic. Highlighted topics covered within the book include Three chapters covering footwear manufacturing Shoe grading, sizing, and the forensic application of sizing information Examination and reporting procedures Casting impressions in snow Barefoot evidence Topics of interest for both prosecution and defense attorneys The book includes more than 300 color photographs and illustrations throughout, as well as case examples that apply theoretical concepts to the real world. A single, complete reference on the subject, Forensic Footwear Evidence presents a wide range wealth of information that will serve as an invaluable reference to novice and experienced examiners, crime scene technicians, investigators, and prosecution and defense counselors alike.

Relationship Inference in Familias and R discusses the use of Familias and R software to understand genetic kinship of two or more DNA samples. This software is commonly used for forensic cases to establish paternity, identify victims or analyze genetic evidence at crime scenes when kinship is involved. The book explores utilizing Familias software and R packages for difficult situations including inbred families, mutations and missing data from degraded DNA. The book additionally addresses identification following mass disasters, familial searching, non-autosomal marker analysis and relationship inference using linked markers. The second part of the book focuses on more statistical issues such as estimation and uncertainty of model parameters. Although written for use with human DNA, the principles can be applied to non-human genetics for animal pedigrees and/or analysis of plants for agriculture purposes. The book contains necessary tools to evaluate any type of forensic case where kinship is an issue.

How and when did forensic science originate in the UK? This question demands our attention because our understanding of present-day forensic science is vastly enriched through gaining an appreciation of what went before. A History of Forensic Science is the first book to consider the wide spectrum of influences which went into creating the discipline in Britain in the first part of the twentieth century. This book offers a history of the development of forensic sciences, centred on the UK, but with consideration of continental and colonial influences, from around 1880 to approximately 1940. This period was central to the formation of a separate discipline of forensic science with a distinct professional identity and this book charts the strategies of the new forensic scientists to gain an authoritative voice in the courtroom and to forge a professional identity in the space between forensic medicine, scientific policing, and independent expert witnessing. In so doing, it improves our understanding of how forensic science developed as it did. This book is essential reading for academics and students engaged in the study of criminology, the history of forensic science, science and technology studies and the history of policing.

The criminal profiling community can easily be split into two separate groups: those that have written criminal profiles and those that have not. It is an important distinction, because report writing is one of the most important requirements of good scientific practice. The process of writing up findings helps to reveal flaws in an examiner's logic so that they can be amended or revisited; the final report memorializes findings and their underlying basis at a fixed point in time; and as a document a forensic report provides the best mechanism for transparency and peer review. The problem is that many criminal profilers have not written criminal profiles, and still more prefer that this remain the case, often to conceal their lack of methodology. The contributors to this volume have travelled the world for more than a decade to lecture on the subjects of crime scene analysis and criminal profiling. The result has been a steady stream of requests from educational institutions and government agencies alike to teach the application of criminal profiling theory. Everyone has read the books, everyone has attended the lecture; but few have experience with hands on practice and application. In other words, there is a growing number of serious professionals who want to know how to put theory into practice and then learn what it means to put their findings into written form. Behavioral Evidence Analysis: International Forensic Practice and Protocols has been written as a companion text to Turvey's Criminal Profiling, now in its fourth edition. It is meant to provide the legion of instructors that are teaching criminal profiling as a subject with real world examples of case reports. It is also meant to serve as a desk reference for professionals that are writing crime scene analysis and criminal profiling reports, to enable sampling of structure, terminology, and references.

This book is a scholarly work of forensic linguistics that demonstrates how the principles of Gricean pragmatics and their recent elaboration in Information Manipulation Theory (IMT) can be of use to courts faced with deciding cases of allegedly fraudulent disclosure documents. The usual goal of legal rules for disclosure documents is not merely to prevent lying but other forms of deception as well. In particular, the goal of these rules is to force the communicator to reveal information that could cause material harm to certain receivers, harms that the communicator, for various reasons of self-interest, might prefer to keep secret or hidden. Because IMT and the Gricean framework have seldom been used in published studies to investigate legally mandated disclosure documents aimed at laypersons, this book seeks to enrich current explications of the rhetorical "workings" of deceptive disclosures within the broader Gricean tradition of pragmatics. The book questions the fundamental relationships among Grice's maxims as well as the much circulated notion that violation of some maxims is more deceptive and more immoral than violations of others. In addition, the book also attempts to show how various other theories and research in discourse linguistics and reading comprehension can be used to support IMT analyses in addressing the discourse processing issues unique to legally required disclosure texts. In this way the book contributes to the larger dual mission of the field of forensic linguistics, which is both to understand and to improve courts' impact on social justice.

Crime Scene Investigation offers an innovative approach to learning about crime scene investigation, taking the reader from the first response on the crime scene to documenting crime scene evidence and preparing evidence for courtroom presentation. It includes topics not normally covered in other texts, such as forensic anthropology and pathology, entomology, arson and explosives, and the electronic crime scene. Numerous photographs and illustrations complement text material, and a chapter-by-chapter fictional narrative also provides the reader with a qualitative dimension of the crime scene experience.

Using Forensic DNA Evidence at Trial: A Case Study Approach covers the most common DNA analysis methods used in criminal trials today, including STR techniques, mitochondrial DNA, and Y-STRs. It presents some novel techniques-including familial testing and analyzing domestic animal hair-that have been recently introduced in unique cases, each of which is outlined in detail. It also illustrates special issues related to forensic DNA evidence by using court proceedings such as trials and appeals, commissions of inquiry, and government and laboratory reviews. With forensic DNA analysis becoming increasingly important at trial, the lively and sometimes bizarre cases presented in this book have been carefully chosen to highlight specific concepts, methods, and interpretations used in DNA analysis. Sections throughout examine the nature of expertise with a special focus on the role of subjectivity in the interpretation of forensic DNA evidence, emphasizing cognitive bias and extraneous context. Using both convictions and exonerations as examples, the book also discusses the strengths and limitations of DNA evidence and testing. The book is written in an accessible manner for the non-scientific reader, such that criminal lawyers, judges, and forensic experts will all understand the nature of analysis and application of DNA evidence in a variety of court cases. Extensive references-including notable trial proceedings, cross references of cases, and specific forensic statistics-round out the book and help to provide a complete understanding of forensic DNA analysis and its current usage in the courtroom.

THE THRILLING NEW KAY SCARPETTA MYSTERY FROM THE #1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER 'I'M STILL SEEING STARS . . . KAY SCARPETTA IS THE SAME GRUMPY, WONDERFUL, RIVETING PERSONALITY SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN AND SHE'S ONLY GETTING BETTER WITH TIME' JAMES PATTERSON Murder and mayhem. Scarpetta is back, and she's racing against the clock . . . Chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta is the reluctant star witness in a sensational murder trial when she receives shocking news. The judge's sister has been found dead. At first glance, it appears to be a home invasion, but then why was nothing stolen, and why is the garden strewn with dead plants and insects? Although there is no apparent cause of death, Scarpetta recognizes tell-tale signs of the unthinkable, and she knows the worst is yet to come. The forensic pathologist finds herself pitted against a powerful force that returns her to the past, and her time to catch the killer is running out . . . 'RIVETING' THE TIMES 'CORNWELL'S ON BLISTERING FORM AND THIS ABSORBING THRILLER WILL KEEP YOU HOOKED' SUN 'CORNWELL KNOWS HOW TO CRAFT A MEAN PAGE-TURNER AND LIVID IS NO EXCEPTION' TELEGRAPH 'ONE OF THE BEST CRIME WRITERS WRITING TODAY' GUARDIAN 'GRIPPING . . . SOUND THE KLAXON, DR KAY SCARPETTA IS BACK' HEAT 'SCARPETTA'S 26TH OUTING AND THE PLOTTING REMAINS EVERY BIT AS FRESH AS WHEN WE WERE INTRODUCED TO HER' BELFAST TELEGRAPH 'ASTONISHING . . . THIRTY YEARS ON, THERE'S STILL NO OTHER CRIME WRITER LIKE HER' SUNDAY TIMES

Forensic Ballistics in Court: Interpretation and Presentation of Firearms Evidence is an accessible introduction to firearms and ballistics evidence and how this is analysed and presented as evidence in a court of law. The book approaches the subject in terms of the realities of case work, opening with a clear and illustrated explanation of the correct nomenclature for various weapon types and their parts. Ammunition is also extensively covered, again with annotated illustrations. Basic external and terminal ballistics, wounding capabilities are likewise covered to give an overview of the subject. A key aspect of the book covers the theory and philosophy behind striation matches and the associated statistics, how positive matches should be peer reviewed and the importance accreditation has on this subject. Gunshot residue formation and identification and the various methods used in its analysis are reviewed in depth. This includes a critical examination of the pros and cons of each type of examination and the evidential weight which can be applied to each method. * Accessible and reader-friendly introduction to firearms and ballistics. * Clarifies the limitations of firearms evidence. * Extensive use of global case-studies throughout. * Focus on the interpretation and assessment of the weight of firearms/ballistics evidence presented at court. * Covers the importance of witness and accused statements and their interpretation in relation to the investigation under review. * Includes coverage of gunshot residue collection, examination and interpretation and the potential for contamination of GSR samples. * Includes numerous real life case studies that the author has dealt with over the past 45 years. * Takes an applied approach to the subject.

Karch's Drug Abuse Handbook, Third Edition remains the quintessential compendium addressing the pharmacological, medical, and legal aspects of drugs and informing the forensic community of the latest scientific advances and emergent practices. For this edition, Dr. Karch has brought on clinical and forensic toxicology expert Dr. Bruce Goldberger, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Analytical Toxicology and president of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, to serve as co-editor. In addition, world-renowned scientists and medical professionals have contributed their work and expertise in tackling the latest developments in drug testing, drug-related medical emergencies, and the drug toxicology. Topics addressed include genetic testing in drug death investigation, pathology, toxicogenetics, alcohol, post-mortem toxicology, new psychoactive substances, the latest legal issues and challenges as well as drugs and drug testing in sports, and the ethical, legal, and practical issues involved. Vivid pictures and diagrams throughout illustrate the pathological effects of drugs and the chemical make-up and breakdown of abused drugs. With unparalleled detail, the latest research and the highest level of authoritative medical scientific information, The Drug Abuse Handbook, Third Edition remains the definitive resource for drug related issues.

Presents a provocative look at various syndromes familiar to forensic psychologists, as applied to criminal cases and the pathology of suicide and homicide victims Provides information previously available only in the Spanish-language edition Combines the work of world-renowned experts to look at the criminal, legal, and psychological facets of various diagnoses and case examples Offers insight into the psychological state of suicide victims, considering their state of mind as a "psychological autopsy"

Forensic practitioners work in a diverse range of settings, with a wide variety of groups and with a large number of agencies. Their work, whilst rewarding, is challenging, demanding and often undertaken in highly stressful situations. Ensuring that the workforce is trained and supported is essential in order to maintain skilful, knowledgeable, responsive and effective practitioners. Whilst training, self-directed learning and peer support all play a role, the need for supervision for practitioners is increasingly being recognised. This text is aimed at all those working in forensic settings who have direct contact with the perpetrators and victims of crime and is written for both those new to supervision and those with many years' experience. Specific chapters focus on knowledge and skills for the supervisor and the supervisee and on those responsible for developing supervision systems for staff groups. This includes a focus on risk, boundaries, approaches to learning and the evidence base for supervision practice. Attention is also given to developing supervision competence and combatting harmful or 'lousy' supervision. The core text is supplemented by ten Special Topics addressing single issues commonly faced in supervision practice, such as ethical issues and reflective practice. The combination of comprehensive chapters and a focus on specific issues through ten Special Topics provides those involved in supervision with an essential resource. This book is essential reading for supervisors, students, managers and researchers who are involved or interested in the supervision process.

Over the past several years, myriad manuals on crime scene investigations have been published with each focusing on select, or partial, aspects of the investigation. Crime scene investigation, done right, is a multi-faceted process that requires various forms of evidence to be collected, examined, and analyzed. No book available has addressed procedures to present global best practices by assembling a collection of international experts to address such topics. Manual of Crime Scene Investigation is a comprehensive collaboration of experts writing on their particular areas of expertise as relates to crime scenes, evidence, and crime scene investigation. The book outlines best practices in the field, incorporating the latest technology to collect, preserve, and enhance evidence for appropriate analysis. Various types of forensic evidence are addressed, covering chain of custody, collection, and utility of such evidence in casework, investigations, and for use in court. The approach, and use of international contributor experts, will appeal to a broad audience and be of use to forensic practitioners, and the forensic science community worldwide. Key features: * Assembles an international team of contributing author experts to present the latest developments in their crime scene field of specialty * Examines global best practices and what are consistently the most reliable tactics and approach to crime scene evidence collection, preservation, and investigation * Provides numerous photographs and diagrams to clearly illustrate chapter concepts Manual of Crime Scene Investigation serves as a vital resource to professionals in police science and crime scene investigations, private forensic institutions, and academics researching how better real-world application of techniques can improve the reliability and utility of evidence upon forensic and laboratory analysis.

Evidence Found: An Approach to Crime Scene Investigation is not another analysis of forensic errors using an "After the Fact" or "Lessons Learned" approach but a "Before the Fact" guide that examines the thought processes that can lead to those mistakes. Plus a few extras tips and tricks from the author's experience of over 25 years. Many high-profile crime scene investigations (and routine ones, for that matter) have suffered errors that have had negative impact on the investigation result and in the courtroom. Typically, we examine what happened and develop a useful list of what to do and what not to do, fixing the symptoms but potentially leaving ourselves open to the same error type on the next scene. The reason? Many crime scene mistakes are the result of systemic issues that are repeated due to a failure to include an evaluation of the decision-making process, including our own foundations of knowledge. Through case study and logical argument, this book attempts to provide a framework to recognize, evaluate, and alter negative decision-making patterns, including evaluating our own experience, before they negatively impact an investigation or the overall operation of a forensic unit.

Traumatic Brain Injury: Methods for Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychiatric Assessment, Third Edition provides physicians and psychologists with a scientifically based schema for the clinical evaluation of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The book assists physicians and psychologists in developing treatment plans for patients who have sustained TBIs and also guides those providing forensic analysis to lawyers, insurance bodies, workers' compensation systems, triers of fact, and other stakeholders in the adjudication of victims of TBI. The procedures and recommendations in this book are grounded in highly referenced evidence-based science but also come from more than 5000 cases wherein the author and contributors have personally examined individuals who have sustained a TBI, or who claim to have sustained a TBI. This edition has been entirely rewritten. The style now follows a more traditional neuropsychiatric format than previous editions. Since the last edition, there has been increased awareness and scientific study regarding the effects of blast brain injury as a consequence of US military experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is also increased interest in the phenomenology of mild traumatic brain injury and, in particular, the forensic complications associated with evaluations of this disorder. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy has also received significant scrutiny in the last decade, possibly associated with sports injuries. This book is a comprehensive resource for clinicians treating patients as well as for forensic specialists. Its purpose remains the same as in prior editions-to provide physicians or psychologists with a practical method for an effective evaluation of TBI based upon known scientific principles of brain-behavior relationships and state-of-the-art clinical, neuroimaging, neuropsychological, and psychological techniques.

Suspect Families is the first book to investigate the social, political, and ethical implications of parental testing for family reunification in immigration cases. Drawing on policy documents, legal frameworks, case study material and interviews with representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisation and immigration authorities, immigration lawyers, geneticists and applicants for family reunification, the book analyses the different political regimes and social arrangements in which DNA analysis is adopted for decision-making on family reunification in three distinct European countries: Austria, Finland and Germany. Interdisciplinary in scope, the book reconstructs the processes, institutional logic and the political and administrative practices of DNA testing from a comparative perspective, combining theoretical conceptualisation with detailed empirical work to explore the central societal, political and ethical issues raised by the use of DNA profiling in the context of immigration policy. A ground-breaking study of the role played by new technologies in migration decisions, Suspect Families will appeal to scholars of sociology, political science, science and technology studies and surveillance studies.

The third edition of Introduction to Environmental Forensics is a state-of-the-art reference for the practicing environmental forensics consultant, regulator, student, academic, and scientist, with topics including compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), advanced multivariate statistical techniques, surrogate approaches for contaminant source identification and age dating, dendroecology, hydrofracking, releases from underground storage tanks and piping, and contaminant-transport modeling for forensic applications. Recognized international forensic scientists were selected to author chapters in their specific areas of expertise and case studies are included to illustrate the application of these methods in actual environmental forensic investigations. This edition provides updates on advances in various techniques and introduces several new topics.

Forensic work occurs across the criminal justice sector and the legal and health professions and intersects with work in a range of areas, such as child protection, family welfare, mental health, offending, disability and addictions, family violence programmes, juvenile justice and sexual assault centres. This book offers contemporary perspectives on forensic policy and practice from the range of practitioners working with people within the forensic domain and canvasses ideas about risk and offending behaviours together with ideas about effective responses to rehabilitation and recovery.

The contributors to this proposed book are drawn from the practitioners, policy contributors, advocates and researchers in mental health, welfare, law, criminology, policing and health. Negligible attention has been paid to forensic policy and practice; this proposed book offers cross-national attention to how mental health, welfare and justice systems intersect, who they affect, and how practitioners structure effective responses for vulnerable people within the forensic domain.

A particular strength of the book is its international focus, making it relevant to academics and practitioners who work in this field around the world.

New designer drugs, access to databases, and changing availability of samples for analysis have changed the face of modern forensic toxicology in recent years. Forensic Toxicology: Drug Use and Misuse brings together the latest information direct from experts in each sub-field of the discipline providing a broad overview of current thinking and the most innovative approaches to case studies. The text begins with an in-depth discussion of pharmaco epidemiology, including information on the value of nationwide databases in forensic toxicology. The use and abuse of drugs in driving, sport and the workplace are then discussed by industry experts who are conducting case work in their field. Not only are new drug groups discussed (NPS), but also their constantly changing impact on drug legislation. Synthetic cannabinoids, khat and mephodrone are discussed in detail. Following a section devoted to legislation and defence, readers will find comprehensive chapters covering sample choice reflecting the increasing use of hair and oral fluid, and also the less commonly used sweat and nail analysis. New and old case examples are compared and contrasted in the final part of the book, which will enable readers to understand how drugs impact on each other and how the interpretative outcome of a case are dependent on many aspects. From use of pharmaceutical drugs in a clinical setting, through smart drugs to new psychoactive drugs, this book documents the wide range in which drugs today are abused. This book will be an essential resource for postgraduate students in forensic toxicology, and for researchers in forensic toxicology laboratories who need the latest data and knowledge.

Forensic Biology provides coordinated expert content from world-renowned leading authorities in forensic biology. Covering the range of forensic biology, this volume in the Advanced Forensic Science Series provides up-to-date scientific learning on DNA analysis. Technical information, written with the degreed professional in mind, brings established methods together with newer approaches to build a comprehensive knowledge base for the student and practitioner alike. LIke each volume in the Advanced Forensic Science Series, review and discussion questions allow the text to be used in classrooms, training programs, and numerous other applications. Sections on fundamentals of forensic science, history, safety, and professional issues provide context and consistency in support of the forensic enterprise. Forensic Biology sets a new standard for reference and learning texts in mondern forensic science.