Days & Times
Course begins at 11 a.m. PDT/Noon MDT/1 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. EDT and is 90 minutes long
Course Location
Online
Forensic science is a mainstay of criminal justice systems. Physical evidence is key to many investigations and court proceedings. As a science, it needs to be accurate, precise, and reliable, more so because of the enormity its outcomes can have on life and liberty. Yet forensic science is poorly understood in many ways. Forensic science describes the science of elaborating the relationships between people, places, and things involved in criminal activities through the analysis of physical evidence. Because the events in question have already occurred, forensic science is philosophically a historical science. Forensic scientists assist investigations through the analysis of the physical remains of the criminal activity (proxy data), called evidence. Different causes, however, can produce similar results (equifinality), and this raises fundamental questions about the validity of inferring unique origins based solely on observed similarities. The inability to definitively distinguish between different processes that yield similar results can undermine the strength of forensic evidence presented in legal settings. This challenge requires a deeper understanding of the underlying processes that produce evidence and how that evidence can and should be interpreted.
During this course, you will learn to:
- Understand how mundane things are transformed into evidence
- Understand crime scenes as systems
- Apply this understanding to forensic science as a historical science
- Analyze how history is studied and how that affects interpretation
- Understand how more than one process can create an outcome (equifinality)
- Evaluate current methods of interpreting forensic evidence in the light of jury and judicial decisions
This course qualifies for The National Judicial College Certificate in Judicial Development program Administrative Law Adjudication Skills, Dispute Resolution Skills, General Jurisdiction Trial Skills, Special Court Trial Skills, and Tribal Judicial Skills disciplines.
Forensic science is a mainstay of criminal justice systems. Physical evidence is key to many investigations and court proceedings. As a science, it needs to be accurate, precise, and reliable, more so because of the enormity its outcomes can have on life and liberty. Yet forensic science is poorly understood in many ways. Forensic science describes the science of elaborating the relationships between people, places, and things involved in criminal activities through the analysis of physical evidence. Because the events in question have already occurred, forensic science is philosophically a historical science. Forensic scientists assist investigations through the analysis of the physical remains of the criminal activity (proxy data), called evidence. Different causes, however, can produce similar results (equifinality), and this raises fundamental questions about the validity of inferring unique origins based solely on observed similarities. The inability to definitively distinguish between different processes that yield similar results can undermine the strength of forensic evidence presented in legal settings. This challenge requires a deeper understanding of the underlying processes that produce evidence and how that evidence can and should be interpreted.