Forensic Science Advances and Their Application in the Judiciary System

Description

This volume examines how new cutting edge forensic techniques are currently being applied or have the potential to be applied in judicial proceedings. Examples include new applications of Raman spectroscopy, quantum chemistry, lithium in DNA analysis, and the burgeoning area of toxicogenetics. In each case legal issues are addressed, including the such as admissibility of evidence resulting from these techniques. A comparison between the American Judiciary system and the European system is included. Contributors offer their expertise from scientific and legal perspectives.

Features

• Explains techniques in chemistry and biology that are being applied to forensic science
• Combines science with case law to show applications in the judiciary system
• Includes perspectives of European judiciary systems
• Incorporates case studies, illustrations, and tables

Table of Contents

• Introduction: A short history of Forensic Science
• Evidence: admissibility of scientific evidence in court; Sapse
• New Frontiers in DNA typing; genotyping botanical, entomological, and microbial material; Wallace
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A powerful tool for identification and quantization of drugs of abuse in human fluids; Champeil and Proni
• The recent evolution of animal cruelty law and veterinary forensic medicine; Reisman and Wolf
• DNA interactions with lithium compounds and the possible applications to Forensic Science; Maddaluno
• Quantum Chemical calculations applied to Forensic Science studies: fingerprinting, toxins, methamphetamines; Sapse
• Virtual autopsy; Daly
• Toxicogenetics and forensic sciences; Tournel
• The application of Raman and Infrared spectroscopy to the study of drug-hair interaction; Kocak and Hoffman
• Comparison of American and European ways of introducing evidence in trials; Sapse
• Forensic Studies of trace evidence (hair, fibers, glass, and soil)