Introduction to Criminalistics

Catalog description

This course is designed to introduce students to concepts of forensic science with an emphasis on the recognition, identification, individualization, and evaluation of physical evidence by applying the natural sciences to law-science matters. Basic scientific principles used in the practice of forensic science and types of evidence, physical evidence in particular, will be discussed. It provides useful information on how scientific truth is used to solve cases and protect the innocent, how increased scientific information and technology could create a safer society, and how that information and technology could be used to create a less free society. Examining the role of forensic science in criminal and civil investigations where questions regarding the interpretation of physical evidence are crucial and will be discussed.