The Forensic Laboratory Handbook

Forensic science has come a long way in the past ten years. It is much more in-depth and much broader in scope, and the information gleaned from any evidence yields so much more information than it had in the past because of incredible advances in analytic instruments and crucial procedures at both the crime scene and in the lab. Many practices have gone digital, a concept not even fathomed ten years ago. And from the first collection of evidence to its lab analysis and interpretation to its final presentation in court, ethics has become an overriding guiding principle. That’s why this new edition of this classic handbook is indispensable. The Forensic Laboratory Handbook Procedures and Practice includes thirteen new chapters written by real-life practitioners who are experts in the field. It covers the tried and true topics of fingerprints, trace evidence, chemistry, biology, explosives and arson, forensic anthropology, forensic pathology, forensic documents, firearms and toolmarks. This text also addresses an array of new topics including accreditation, certification, ethics, and how insects and bugs can assist in determining many facts including a margin of time of death. In the attempt to offer a complete and comprehensive analysis The Forensic Laboratory Handbook Procedures and Practice also includes a chapter discussing the design of a laboratory. In addition, each chapter contains educational requirements needed for the discipline it covers. Complete with questions at the end of each chapter, brief author bios and real crime scene photos, this text has risen to greet the many new challenges and issues that face today’s forensic crime practitioners.

A comprehensive and easy-to-read introduction to the work of the modern forensic laboratory. The authors explain in simple language the capabilities and limitations of modern forensic laboratory procedures, techniques, analyses, and interpretations. Here, the interested reader will find an understandable and fascinating introduction to the complex worlds of forensic serology DNA, chemistry, crime reconstruction, digital evidence, explosives, arson, fingerprints, firearms, tool marks, odontology, and pathology. Additional chapters address the problems of assuring quality and seeking trace evidence in the forensic laboratory.

In November 1996, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Law Enforcement Standards Office (OLES), and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors held a joint workshop to develop guidelines for planning, designing, constructing, and moving into crime laboratories. The workshop's by-product, Forensic Laboratories: Handbook for Facility Planning, Design, Construction, and Moving, was published in April 1998 and was still in use up to the publication of this update. Over the 15 years since its original publication, however, significant changes have developed within the design and construction industry, specifically in regards to its focus on energy and sustainability. Additionally, dramatic advances in forensic science and research, and the resultant increased demand for forensic services have necessitated this first update to the 1998 handbook.

An applied approach to teaching forensic microscopy in educational settings, featuring new experiments and an up-to-date overview of the field Practical Forensic Microscopy: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Edition, is a unique resource that brings the microscopic procedures used by real-world forensic investigators to the college laboratory, providing hands-on knowledge of the microscopes and microscopic techniques used in the field. Presenting a balanced, skills-based approach to the subject, this student-friendly lab manual contains dozens of experiments designed to cover the various microscopic evidence disciplines, including examinations of fingerprints, firearm, toolmark, shoeprint and tire impressions, gunshots, fibers, soil, glass breakage, drugs, semen, and human hair. The second edition includes revised and updated experiments that reflect current technologies and techniques used in forensic science, including new experiments examining plastic film, food condiments, feathers, building materials, explosive residue, cigarette butts and more. Each chapter includes a list of simple objectives for the experiment, a general overview of the topic, further readings, and selected references. The manual contains worksheets and templates for students to use when compiling analytical results. The concluding chapter features an innovative case scenario that requires students to analyze items of evidence, complete a laboratory report, reach a conclusion, and present their findings. This popular lab manual: Teaches practical forensic microscopy skills through hands-on experiments and engaging practical activities Covers a wide range of microscopes and forensic tools, including stereomicroscopes, ocular micrometers, and fluorescence, polarized light, and phase contrast microscopes Explains simple stereomicroscopic techniques for analyzing various types of common forensic evidence Includes more complex procedures for examining biological, drug, and trace evidence Discusses laboratory safety, microscope maintenance, and the Micro Kit Written by an author with years of academic and professional experience, Practical Forensic Microscopy: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Edition, is a must-have companion for any college-level forensic science course with a laboratory component, and is a useful supplement for related courses that cover microscopy and the principles of forensic lab procedures.