Is forensic science declining?

[Bugzilla]

Grew up watching Unsolved Mysteries and the like. Forensic Science may have been a second choice for a career if I didn’t go into Reliability Engineering. Seems you never hear of it anymore as it seems like all they care about is DNA. Is forensic science declining in the law enforcement world?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

No.

 

[Hoosierdood]

Ever since they stopped filming new episodes of CSI, forensic science has gone downhill. I heard they were currently in production of a reboot, so there still may be some hope for a little while.

 

[Ark]

Well it didn't help that hair, fiber, bite mark, tool mark, and ballistics "matching" all suffered major credibility collapses in the last decade or so. It turned out that in reality these were mostly rhetorical tools to sway juries and had no real standards or scientific rigor behind them at all. There have been a number of major exonerations based on reexamining poor forensic firearms evidence and other forms of visual "matching" evidence. Fibers were particularly embarrassing, IIRC some tests revealed those "experts" couldn't tell the difference between blonde woman hairs, golden retriever hairs, and yellow yarn.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

My cousin is in forensics. She loves it. It is definitely not in decline. Actually, just the opposite. Forensics are becoming so advanced that they have a multitude of different types of “forensic sciences” now, it no longer just focuses on dna and the likes.

 

[EricG]

Nope.
I just sat on a jury for a cold case, double murder that happened in 1992.

 

[Bassat]

My cousin is in forensics. She loves it. It is definitely not in decline. Actually, just the opposite. Forensics are becoming so advanced that they have a multitude of different types of “forensic sciences” now, it no longer just focuses on dna and the likes.

This is Bang-ON! 'Forensics' is not in decline. It can't be in decline. It is science. Science does not, cannot, go backward. Forensics is also not ONE thing. It is everywhere; you cannot possibly train to be a 'Forensics specialist'. The field is way too broad. Go to medical school, become a Medical Examiner (forensic physician). Great, you are now in forensics. NONE of your training qualifies you to do forensic: biology, accounting, fire investigation, architecture, microscopy, chemistry, automobile crash, agriculture, botany, zoology, finance, aircraft crash, or any other field of scientific endeavor. Forensics is EVERYWHERE. Want in? Pick a specialty. There are hundreds (thousands?) to choose from.

 

[Creedmoor]

My cousin is in forensics. She loves it. It is definitely not in decline. Actually, just the opposite. Forensics are becoming so advanced that they have a multitude of different types of “forensic sciences” now, it no longer just focuses on dna and the likes.

Yep, one of my sisters is a retired from doing forensics, she now teaches forensics at two Florida colleges and does some work on TV.
One of my exs brothers was Andersons forensic chemist until he retired a few yrs ago.

 

[Ingomike]

Grew up watching Unsolved Mysteries and the like. Forensic Science may have been a second choice for a career if I didn’t go into Reliability Engineering. Seems you never hear of it anymore as it seems like all they care about is DNA. Is forensic science declining in the law enforcement world?

Seems odd in this time that one would ask this question, after all, CSI has been one of the most popular shows for two decades. So popular that many believe it skews juries with what they call CSI effect.

7 Ways the CSI Effect is Altering Our Courtrooms (For Better and For Worse)

What is the CSI effect and how is it changing the legal system? Click to learn the pros and cons.

www.rasmussen.edu

 

[Creedmoor]

Seems odd in this time that one would ask this question, after all, CSI has been one of the most popular shows for two decades. So popular that many believe it skews juries with what they call CSI effect.

7 Ways the CSI Effect is Altering Our Courtrooms (For Better and For Worse)

What is the CSI effect and how is it changing the legal system? Click to learn the pros and cons.

www.rasmussen.edu

A few years ago I was called for Madison co jury duty. I was disqualified for cause off the jury with me having been in the service and my bil and sister working in forensic LE.
It was over a guy getting curb stomped at the VIP lounge in Anderson.

 

[smokingman]

They are trying to murder it.

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250701.pdf

 

[Creedmoor]

They are trying to murder it.

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250701.pdf

My sister is embraced because she was good at her job at Jacksonville Sheriffs dept and now as a professor, not that shes a lesbian.

 

[HoughMade]

Seems odd in this time that one would ask this question, after all, CSI has been one of the most popular shows for two decades. So popular that many believe it skews juries with what they call CSI effect.

7 Ways the CSI Effect is Altering Our Courtrooms (For Better and For Worse)

What is the CSI effect and how is it changing the legal system? Click to learn the pros and cons.

www.rasmussen.edu

Jury expectations are often unrealistic because of what they have seen on TV. I'd say that the pursuit of actual fair trials and justice has seen a decline because of the CSI effect.

 

[snapping turtle]

It was over a guy getting curb stomped at the VIP lounge in Anderson.

that sounds like a normal Anderson Saturday night at the VIP.

 

[Creedmoor]

that sounds like a normal Anderson Saturday night at the VIP.

LOL, I haven't been in there in 20 yrs or more.
This guy was playing pool and another guy was walking by and the guy playing pool when to shoot and hit the guy walking by with the cue.
Guy walking cold cocks pool player and he hits his head on the side of the pool table and knocks him out. While guy is laying on floor guy walking and his buddy just stomp him bad.
They gave him brain damage with the beating. It was all on video, defense attorney claimed mutual combat. lol
Yea, no dude.
The building does look like it got a paint job and a face lift awhile back. But I assume its like going to Club Sinbads, Oasis or Sonny Rays 20 years ago. When I lived in Anderson W16th St was ruff and tumble. Had loads of fun in those joints.