Reaction Paper: You Choose
So far this semester, we have studied a number of criminal forensics and investigations topics, including:
1. death investigations
2. fingerprints
3. illegal drugs and drunk driving (and forensics toxicology)
4. hair/fiber/trace evidence
5. tool mark and impression evidence
6. different forms of firearms evidence and forensics
7. bomb and fire investigations
8. document exams
9. adult sex crime investigations
10. child sex crimes investigations, and
11. child physical abuse investigations
Please choose which one of these topics you have found the MOST interesting. Once you have chosen the topic, please write an approximately one and half (1 ½) page (or more, if you choose) paper answering the following questions in narrative form:
1. Describe in approximately a paragraph what the topic of criminal forensics or investigations is, i.e., how it would be defined and is generally done.
a. Example: ??DNA analysis is the amplification of recovered biological samples, followed by the comparison of such samples to a known standard. Investigators carefully collect potential DNA samples and standards from suspects that are transported to the crime lab. The DNA analyst then carefully handles all of the samples, ultimately prepping them for the comparison.??
2. If you chose a criminal forensic topic, how is that type of criminal forensics generally used in investigations (i.e., how does it assist in an investigation)? If you chose one of the forms of investigations, how do those investigations generally proceed, and where and how does criminal forensics come into play in those investigations?
3. In what ways is the forensic topic or type of investigation subject to attack in court? (i.e., where is the subject or type of investigation generally weak?)
4. Why is this topic the most interesting to you?
5. What about this topic ?C upon learning about it in this course ?C most surprised you?
6. What else about this topic ?C if anything ?C would you have liked to have covered in class?