Importance of Forensic Science Within Criminal Justice Essay

Forensic Science: Its Relevance Within the Criminal Justice System

Forensic science has, since its inception, had an impact on a number of fields, including education, health, law enforcement (the criminal justice system), to name but a few. Of these, the criminal justice system can be rightly considered the greatest beneficiary of forensic science (Fantino, 2007). Thanks to technological advancement and increased public awareness, all aspects of the justice system today including but not limited to policing, investigations of crime, security efforts and court processes rely, to a large extent, on forensic science (Garrison, 2013). Forensic science in the criminal justice system involves applying "medical knowledge to legal questions" (Garrison, 2013).

The disciplines of forensic science are either based on laboratory testing (such as drug and mitochondrial DNA analyses and toxicology) or on observed patterns (such as specimen analyses, bite marks, and fingerprints) (Garrison, 2013). During criminal investigations, samples of footprints, fingerprints, saliva, skin cells, sweat or blood are collected from the crime scene and presented to a forensic laboratory for analysis by experts. The expert report is then presented as evidence during court proceedings (Houck & Siegel, 2010). It is possible that an experienced criminal may not leave fingerprints at a scene of crime. However, it may be extremely difficult or impossible for them not to leave traces of sweat, blood or skin cells (Garrison, 2013).

Discussion

The importance of forensic science in law enforcement will be examined herein under policing, security efforts, and court proceedings.

Policing: DNA is an individual's genetic blueprint, unique to them and easily identifiable (Garrison, 2013). It is for this reason that DNA evidence has been able to provide solutions in cases that had veered off the track due to lack of witnesses or insufficient physical evidence (Stevens, n.d.).

Forensic science has significantly improved criminal investigations by expanding the range of evidence from which investigators could obtain crucial leads. Advancements in forensic technology have made it possible for investigators to obtain crucial DNA samples from small, degraded, yet critical sources such as cigarette butts (Stevens, n.d.). Such advancements have significantly reduced instances where innocent people are wrongly convicted and punished, as the guilty remain unpunished - a phenomenon that was quite common when law enforcers relied entirely on physical evidence (Stevens, n.d.).

Investigations involving complex cases that were traditionally extremely difficult or impossible to prove, such as cases of sexual assault, have, as a result of forensic technology, received a significant boost (Garrison, 2013). Traditionally, investigators relied solely on physical evidence to not only investigate but also prosecute offenders. However, this often proved difficult, especially if the culprits were careful enough as not to leave fingerprints or if the case lacked witnesses (Garrison, 2013). Today, investigators in such a case would simply obtain DNA samples from the victim and then subject the same to the CODIS matching system for matching and identification (Houck & Siegel, 2010).

Forensic technology has significantly boosted efficiency in policing activities. First, unlike analyses involving physical evidence, forensic evidence can be analyzed and results obtained within only forty-eight hours (Houck & Siegel, 2010). Police are, therefore, in a position to make arrests even before laboratory testing is complete (Houck & Siegel, 2013). The time factor is key in any criminal investigation, as it makes it possible for law enforcers to take advantage of the early stages of the investigations, which are quite crucial (Houck & Siegel, 2010). Secondly, instances of mistaken identity are quite rare, and so are the civil lawsuits that come with…