Evans, Colin. Law Enforcement Agencies Crime Lab. New York: Infobase Learning, 2011

Bibliography

Evans, Colin. Law Enforcement Agencies Crime Lab. New York: Infobase Learning, 2011.

Ferguson. Ferguson's Careers in Focus. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010.

Woog, Adam. Careers in Forensic Science. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC, 2014.

Evans, Colin. Law Enforcement Agencies Crime Lab. New York: Infobase Learning, 2011.

In the world of modern law enforcement, crime laboratories have become crucial.

Prosecutors best chance to influence a jury rests in being able to provide a science-based evidence that links the accused to the crime. Many juries even expect this evidence. This expectation has become so widespread that the courts refer to it as “The CSI Effect.” The crime lab is expected to solve crimes. (Evans)

This expectation did not arise overnight. It took a long time for courts and jurors to accept scientific evidence. In the 19th century in Europe a string of crimes broke loose where expert witnesses testimonies held more water than any type of scientific testimony. This led to numerous failures of delivering justice. (Evans)

The big transformation came with the arrival of the 20th century. Before this new dawn there had been minor breakthroughs in toxicology and fingerprint testing, but it was the extensive leaps in new technology that came with the new century are what formed our modern crime labs. Over the past 100 years chromatography, the electrostatic detection apparatus, DNA typing, and the electron scanning microscope have been developed and are now depended upon by forensic scientists. (Evans)

Ferguson. Ferguson's Careers in Focus. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010.

The field of Forensic Science has boomed over the past decade. Forensic Science can be found in crime laboratories, colleges and universities, law firms, insurance companies, and local state and federal government agencies. Majority of the careers in forensic science require a bachelor’s degree there are also opportunities for those with a high school diploma. In the

Forensic Science field there are: crime scene investigators, fingerprint analysts, computer forensic specialists, forensic accountants and auditors, forensic anthropologists and countless more careers with employment opportunities. Earnings for forensic science professionals range from $20,000 to more than $150,000. (Ferguson)

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the employment of forensic science technicians will grow much faster than the average employment rates for all careers. There are predicted to be many opportunities for forensic science professionals; however, many forensic science fields are small and employ only a few employees. Those employed through the local and state public safety departments should experience especially strong employment opportunities. It is the forensic science professionals, who are supplied with an advanced education and an appreciable amount of experience, that have the best employment outlooks.

(Ferguson)

Woog, Adam. Careers in Forensic Science. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing LLC,

2014. Forensic Science is known for its long history. Hundreds of years have passed since humans first explored into forensic science. “Today’s rapidly advancing forensic technology is grounded on centuries of steady progress in the field.” Even the word forensics is very old. The word is derived from a Latin word meaning “of the forum.” In ancient Rome, juries were known as a forum. Overtime the term “forensics” has developed to mean ways in which science is used to settle issues concerning the law. (Woog)

The first known account of science being used in an investigation was in a thirteenth- century text from China. The text describes the techniques of looking for water in the lungs of a corpse. In one particular instance the text discloses, an investigator solved a murder by identifying the weapon as a sickle. He did this by testing the wounds different blades made on animal carcasses. The investigator then had all residents in the area bring their sickles to him. He then singled out one sickle because the blood on it attracted flies. The owner of the sickle, later confessed when confronted. (Woog)