Forensic Evidence : Science And the Criminal Law

One of the greatest challenges encountered by those in the forensic sciences is anticipating what the state and federal courts will – or will not – allow as valid physical evidence. With this in mind, the author of Forensic Evidence: Science and the Criminal Law, Second Edition analyzes and explains the judicial system’s response to the applicability of forensic science in the investigation, prosecution, and defense of criminal activity.

Each chapter of this comprehensive yet accessible resource provides an overview and analysis of the scientific and legal aspects of a particular forensic discipline. An important new feature of this second edition is that each chapter focuses on discussions of recent forensics literature reviews from Interpol’s 14th Annual Forensic Science Symposium. This latest edition also updates previously discussed cases and presents the most recent applications of the Frye and Daubert standards, the admissibility of eyewitness identification, the upsurge of cases and statutes that involve post-conviction DNA, and the increased interest in re-examining cold cases.

As challenges to forensic evidence become increasingly rigorous, so does the need for intense preparation. Forensic Evidence: Science and the Criminal Law, Second Edition is the book that those in the forensic sciences need to have on hand to successfully prepare for what may await them in the courtroom.

Terrence F. Kiely