ASSESSMENT OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCES PROFESSION - A LEGAL STUDY CONCERNING THE FORENSIC SCIENCES PERSONNEL, V 3

• NCJ Number: 41899
• Author(s): O SCHROEDER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 239 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-NI-99-0052
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Forensic Sciences Foundation
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Bibliography
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY WHERE AND HOW THE FORENSIC SCIENCES PERSONNEL RELATE TO AMERICAN CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE AND TO DETERMINE HOW CRIMINAL TRIAL JUDGES AND LAWYERS ASSESS THEIR VALUE.

Abstract

IT INVOLVED A LEGAL LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE 50 STATES AND THE FEDERAL, VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND PUERTO RICAN JURISDICTIONS AND A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF 5550 JUDGES AND LAWYERS WORKING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESSES. STUDY FINDINGS REVEALED THAT NO CLEAR AND ACCEPTABLE DEFINITION OF THE FORENSIC SCIENCES EXISTS IN LAW OR SCIENCE LITERATURE; THAT NINETY PERCENT OF LAW PERSONS USING THE FORENSIC SCIENCES DESIRE GREATER UTILIZATION DUE TO THE PERSONNEL'S SUPERIOR CREDIBILITY IN LEGAL DECISIONMAKING; AND THAT GREATER USE OF FORENSIC SCIENCES PERSONNEL IS BARRED DUE TO LACK OF PERSONNEL AND/OR FUNDS TO SECURE EXPERT SCIENTIFIC SERVICES. IN ADDITION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PRIMARY SOURCE USED BY LAWYERS TO LOCATE A SCIENTIST IS A FELLOW LAWYER. THEREFORE, BOTH THEY AND JUDGES DESIRE SOME SORT OF PUBLIC LICENSING AND/OR CERTIFICATION OF FORENSIC SCIENCES PERSONNEL. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE AN INTENSIVE TRAINING FOR JUDGES, LAWYERS, AND POLICE IN THE CAPABILITIES OF FORENSIC SCIENCES PERSONNEL, LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION FOR ALL IN THE FIELD, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INFORMATION SOURCE FOR RAPID IDENTIFICATION AND LOCATION OF NEEDED FORENSIC SCIENCES/TECHNOLOGIES PERSONNEL. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A COPY OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, WRITTEN QUESTIONNAIRE COMMENTS FROM INDIVIDUAL RESPONDENTS, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPUTER ANALYSIS DONE ON THE 1363 QUESTIONNAIRES RETURNED WITH 129 TABLES OF COMPUTER PRINTOUTS DISPLAYING SPECIFIC DETAILS. THE RESULTS OF THE LITERATURE SEARCH ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN A SUBJECT-BY-SUBJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY. THE OTHER PRODUCTS OF THIS THREE-PART REPORT CONSIST OF A SERIES OF ROSTERS SHOWING THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE VARIOUS FORENSIC SCIENCE DISCIPLINES (NCJ-37775) AND A NATIONAL STATE-OF-THE-ART ASSESSMENT OF THE NUMBER, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE OF SCIENTIFIC AND RELATED PARAPROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL SERVING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (NCJ-37881)....ELW