Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

Who established the comparison microscope as the indispensable tool of the modern firearms examiner?

A)Goddard
B)Lattes
C)Gross
D)Osborn

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The final evaluator of forensic evidence is the:

A)Police.
B)Jury.
C)Accused.
D)Prosecutor.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The concept of "general acceptance" of scientific evidence relates to the:

A)First Amendment.
B)Exclusionary rule.
C)Frye standard.
D)Miranda warnings.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following can be rightfully cited as an explanation for the rapid growth of crime labs during the last 40 years?

A)Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s
B)Staggering increase in crime rates in the United States
C)Advent of DNA profiling
D)All of the above

Question 5

Who established the first workable crime laboratory?

A)Galton
B)Bertillon
C)Locard
D)Osborn

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT true? An expert witness must be able to demonstrate:

A)Skill in a trade or profession that is of interest to the court.
B)Significant experience in a relevant field.
C)A formal degree in forensic science.
D)Education in his/her area of expertise.

Question 7

Who developed the system known as anthropometry?

A)Bertillon
B)Goddard
C)Gross
D)Galton

Question 8

The exchange of evidence principle was theorized by:

A)Gross.
B)Locard.
C)Galton.
D)Osborn.

Question 9

Which unit is responsible for the examination of body fluids and organs for the presence of drugs and poisons?

A)Toxicology unit
B)Physical science unit
C)Evidence collection unit
D)Biology unit

Question 10

The fictional character of Sherlock Holmes was created by:

A)Dalton.
B)Doyle.
C)Darwin.
D)Denton.

Question 11

What is the LEAST important consideration in the gathering of evidence at a crime scene?

A)Adequate preservation of samples
B)Competent collection of materials
C)Guilt of the suspect(s)
D)Proper recognition of the evidence

Question 12

Which entity maintains the largest crime laboratory in the world?

A)FBI
B)Royal Canadian Mounted Police
C)Scotland Yard
D)ATF

Question 13

Forensic science is the application of science to:

A)Crime scene reconstruction.
B)Civil laws.
C)Criminal laws.
D)Both criminal and civil laws.

Question 14

Who undertook the first definitive study of fingerprints as a method of personal identification?

A)Gross
B)Lattes
C)Goddard
D)Galton

Question 15

Who wrote the first treatise describing the application of science to the field of criminal investigation?

A)Locard
B)Osborn
C)Lattes
D)Gross

Question 16

Who devised a technique for determining the blood group of a dried bloodstain, which he applied to criminal investigations?

A)Lattes
B)Gross
C)Locard
D)Bertillon

Question 17

In the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court advocated that a "gatekeeper" determine the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence. This gatekeeper is the:

A)Expert witness.
B)Prosecutor.
C)Jury.
D)Trial judge.

Question 18

The oldest forensic laboratory in the United States is that of the:

A)N)Y.C. Police Department.
B)FBI.
C)Los Angeles Police Department.
D)Secret Service.

Question 19

Which would NOT be included in the work of the biology unit of a crime lab?

A)Blood typing
B)Comparison of hairs
C)DNA profiling
D)Fingerprint analysis

Question 20

Who is known as the "father of forensic toxicology"?

A)Orfila
B)Locard
C)Osborn
D)Lattes

Question 21

One of the earliest crime laboratories was founded by Albert Osborn.

Question 22

Specially trained personnel called ________ are employed by some crime laboratories on 24-hour call to retrieve evidence and have all the proper tools and supplies for proper collection and packaging of evidence at their disposal.

A)Evidence officers
B)Forensic detectives
C)Evidence technicians
D)Forensic pathologists

Question 23

The tendency of the public to believe that every crime scene will yield forensic evidence and their unrealistic expectations that a prosecutor's case should always be bolstered and supported by forensic evidence is known as:

A)Jurisprudence.
B)Locard's Principle.
C)The Scientific Method.
D)The CSI Effect.

Question 24

Which specialized area of forensic science examines the relationship between human behavior and legal proceedings?

A)Forensic jury selection
B)Jurisprudence
C)Forensic psychiatry
D)Forensic odontology

Question 25

Forensic odontology refers to the study of:

A)Drugs.
B)Pollen.
C)Teeth.
D)Bones.

Question 26

In Kumho Tire Co., Ltd. v. Carmichael, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the "gatekeeping" role of a trial judge:

A)Was restricted to scientific testimony.
B)Applied only to cases involving capital crimes.
C)Was subject to appeal by a higher court.
D)Applied to all expert testimony.

Question 27

The case of Coppolino v. State highlights issues dealing with:

A)Search and seizure.
B)The admissibility of the polygraph.
C)The evidential value of confessions.
D)The acceptability of new scientific tests.

Question 28

What factor(s)do(es)the court usually take into consideration as sufficient grounds for qualification as an expert witness?

A)Experience
B)Training
C)Education
D)All of the above

Question 29

Bite marks would be LEAST likely to be found in cases involving:

A)Murder.
B)Child abuse.
C)Arson.
D)Sexual abuse.

Question 30

The lay witness provides testimony that relies on:

A)Scientific education.
B)Personal opinions.
C)Personal knowledge.
D)Scientific experience.

Question 31

The necessity for the forensic scientist to appear in court comes from the U.S. Supreme Court case?

A)Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts
B)Crawford v. Washington
C)Coppolino v. State
D)Frye v. United States

Question 32

Which judicial case set forth the most current guidelines for determining the admissibility of scientific examinations in the federal courts?

A)Frye v. United States
B)Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals
C)Coppolino v. State of Florida
D)Kumho Tire Co., Ltd. v. Carmichael

Question 33

What is the most significant problem facing the forensic DNA community?

A)Contamination of DNA samples by evidence collectors
B)Backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples
C)Lack of recent advancements in DNA technology
D)Absence of computerized DNA databases

Question 34

The dramatization of forensic science on television has led to a phenomenon known as the:

A)NCIS effect.
B)NYPD effect.
C)CSI effect.
D)LAPD effect.

Question 35

The eleven sections of The American Academy of Forensic Science include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)General.
B)Arson/Explosives.
C)Jurisprudence.
D)Criminalistics.

Question 36

Which unit applies principles and techniques of chemistry, physics, and geology to the identification and comparison of crime scene evidence?

A)Forensic geology
B)Physical science
C)Toxicology
D)Biology

Question 37

The scientific method requires that scientific evidence be validated by:

A)Formulating pertinent questions.
B)Formulating hypotheticals.
C)Performing experiments.
D)All of the above

Question 38

Which of the following services are typically provided to law enforcement by crime laboratories?

A)Pathology
B)Criminalistics
C)Odontology
D)Psychology

Question 39

The case of Frye v. United States deals with the legal issue of general acceptance of scientific principles.

Question 40

A crime scene which involved the collapse of a structure would be analyzed by specialists in the area of:

A)Forensic computer and digital analysis.
B)Forensic error analysis.
C)Criminalistics.
D)Forensic engineering.

Question 41

The administration of a polygraph examination does not normally lie within the expertise of the forensic scientist.

Question 42

Frye v. United States established the "general acceptance" rule.

Question 43

Karl Landsteiner and Leone Lattes are associated with the area of blood typing.

Question 44

An expert witness gives testimony on events or observations that arise from personal knowledge.

Question 45

The comparison of hairs and fibers would be performed in the biology unit.

Question 46

Examining garments and other objects in order to detect firearms discharge residues would be performed in the biology unit.

Question 47

The increase in U.S. crime rates since the 1960s did not have any effect on the growth of crime laboratories.

Question 48

Differences in local laws have no effect on the variation of total services offered by crime labs in different communities.

Question 49

Locard's exchange principle states that whenever two objects come into contact with one another, there is an exchange of materials between them.

Question 50

The physical science unit is responsible for examining burned or charred documents.

Question 51

The federal government has no single law enforcement or investigative agency that has unlimited jurisdiction throughout the country.

Question 52

Forensic science is the application of science to criminal laws only.

Question 53

A lay witness's testimony cannot usually contain the personal opinions of the witness.

Question 54

The physical science unit would perform soil and mineral analysis.

Question 55

In 1972, New York began creating an integrated network of state-operated forensic laboratories consisting of regional and satellite facilities.

Question 56

Providing expert testimony is not one of the main functions of a forensic scientist.

Question 57

The toxicology unit determines the amount of alcoholic consumption of individuals.

Question 58

Forensic anthropologists can use dental records such as X-rays, dental casts, and a photograph of a person's smile to compare a set of dental remains and a suspected victim.

Question 59

Dr. Walter C. McCrone made significant contributions to forensic science using the microscope.

Question 60

The effectiveness of an expert's testimony does not usually depend on the educational background of the expert.

Question 61

________ undertook the first definitive study of fingerprints and developed a methodology of classifying them for filing.

Question 62

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a state-run agency.

Question 63

Forensic odontologists look at bones to identify victims.

Question 64

It is the responsibility of the forensic investigator to determine innocence or guilt.

Question 65

The fee-for-service concept has encouraged the creation of a number of ________ laboratories.

Question 66

A voiceprint transforms a visual graphic display into speech.

Question 67

The five basic services a crime lab can provide are the physical science unit, the biology unit, the firearms unit, the document examination unit, and the photography unit.

Question 68

The ________ unit examines body fluids and organs to determine the presence or absence of drugs and poisons.

Question 69

The ________ unit performs DNA profiling of dried bloodstains and other body fluids.

Question 70

The increase in crime rates in the U.S. has led to an increase in the number of crime laboratories.

Question 71

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is the largest forensic science organization in the world.

Question 72

Regional laboratories have decreased the accessibility of many local law enforcement agencies to a crime laboratory.

Question 73

The "father of forensic toxicology" is considered to be ________.

Question 74

The United States has no national system of forensic laboratories.

Question 75

Physical evidence is subject to bias.

Question 76

The firearms unit may also analyze tool marks.

Question 77

All illicit drug seizures must be sent to a forensic laboratory for confirmatory analysis.

Question 78

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes had a large influence on popularizing scientific crime-detection methods.

Question 79

One major problem in forensic DNA laboratories is the backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples.

Question 80

________ was the first to use a comparison microscope to analyze bullets to determine whether they were fired from the same gun.