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Re: fibers/ washing the mouth When you have the same class characteristics you have circumstantial evidence linking the tested sample to the evidence left at the scene. There is no definite link, and depending on the type of class characteristics, it might be a very weak link. White or blue...

Re: Welcome to the Forensic Science Forum These vary highly by state. Back 20 years ago when I was in highschool in California, all I needed was a note in my wallet signed by my parents giving me permission to take my target rifle (or my handgun) and ammunition back and forth from the...

It really depends on where you work. In Arizona the two jobs generally are done by two different sets of people, with two different job requirements, and two highly different pay scales (criminalists being much higher than crime scene response generally). On the other hand I've heard that in...

If I can add to the above post, if you have your heart set on CSI, be sure and try and get some vounteer/intership time in at a forensic lab. It makes you stand out from the crowd of applicants.

If the photos were bad, wait till you have a real one thats is ooey-gooey and stinky you have to work around. But seriously keep up the determination. It's not a rubbish job, even though it isn't like on TV.

I agree 100%. Most forensics can be taught on the job, and be more valuable training that you will get in school. More of those who can do... The stronger core science skills will help you more in the long run than dropping some of the science classes for administration of justice/legal classes.

I guess that is just a foreign concept for me. I haven't met any forensic scientists who were cops who get paid more than civilian scientists. All the top paid working scientists I know have always been civilians. Now lab administration might be sworn cops, but they aren't scientists and...

Not true at all. You don't have to be a cop at all, you might have to work with them, but you shouldn't be anything like a cop.

According to Wikipedia: Ballistics (gr. ba'llein, "throw") is the science that deals with the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and hurling projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance...

I don't think I have any other case specific accounts on my site. I think I will start adding them, once they go to trial. Heck I think I'll start adding some that I remember. I encourage you to point your cousin towards my site. The main purpose behind my site is to educate people about...

I don't know what you mean by do I have any other crime accounts there. I agree with you that crime scene investigation is a fascinating field. What some highly trained, skilled, and naturally talented people can discern from a crime scene is amazing. I generally don't head out to crime...

You know you are headed to court to be part of a dog and pony show when as a result of your exhaustive analysis of the physical evidence in the case, you have basically nothing salient to report. Such was the case for me recently. It was a homicide case, where the defense was claiming it was a...

Yes. See your previous post: :devil:

There is no special solution to remove flesh that I am aware of. There is a special cleaner commonly used for blood called Haemo-Sol. http://www.haemo-sol.com/faq.html#2

None of the above. There are no inquest hearings or coroners. In Arizona cause/manner of death determinations are made by the medical examiner based on their analysis and documentation submitted by law enforcement agencies. There can be a determination of homicide by gunshot for example...

And I agree with you in theory. If all expert witnesses were in fact impartial, testifying to only what the evidence says - like you see on TV shows - there wouldn't be a problem. But in this field that isn't the case. There are some definately "pro-police" and "anti-defendant" expert...

Normally we can't sit in the courtroom, but that is only if that rule is envoked by either lawyer. In this case it hadn't been.

Ohh yeah. Then it gets into a total pissing match between judges. There is a general rule out here where superior (felony) court trump municipal (misdemeanor) court, and juvenile beats out an equivalent adult case. Then they break things down into oldest date of violation. That being said, I...

Ever wonder why the people complain about how inefficient government is? Well let me tell you a tale… I get a call one day from a secretary at a city prosecutor’s office asking me if I got a subpoena for a case that afternoon. I replied I had, but was going to wait until I got a call that I...

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