Forensic Science Advances and Their Application in the Judiciary System

This volume examines how new cutting edge forensic techniques are currently being applied or have the potential to be applied in judicial proceedings. Examples include new applications of Raman spectroscopy, quantum chemistry, lithium in DNA analysis, and the burgeoning area of toxicogenetics. In each case legal issues are addressed, including the such as admissibility of evidence resulting from these techniques. A comparison between the American Judiciary system and the European system is included. Contributors offer their expertise from scientific and legal perspectives.

Over the past decade, there have been great advances in the technology available to crime scene personnel and laboratory analysts. Many of the newer methods employed by criminalists are based on sound scientific research and have extraordinary sensitivity and specificity. This volume describes such methods and provides insight into their impact on forensic science and criminal justice. Topics discussed include scientific evidence in criminal cases where the outcome has been largely decided based on forensic evidence analysis, legal and chemical aspects in the detection and analysis of methamphetamines, DNA analysis, new applications of chemical methods to forensic science, NMR methods, pharmacogenetics, and virtual autopsy.