The College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series Presents: "CSI in Real Life: Realities of Modern Forensic Science" Presented by Barry Fisher, Senior Forensic Advisor for the US Department of Justice ICITAP.
March 18th, 2014, 6:00 PM at Cocina 214 in downtown Winter Park.
The general public has a fascination with forensic science. The proof of this statement is in the large number of popular TV shows with forensic themes on the air: CSI, NCIS, Bones, Sherlock Holmes, to name a few. The presence has even lead to sociologists to claim there is a “CSI Effect” which causes jurors to place an unrealistically high expectation on scientific evidence presented in a trial. A fair question to ask is, “Is this high level of belief in the near infallibility of forensic science actually justified?” In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences published a study which questioned the notion that forensic science was near perfect. It focused on one major branch of work done in US crime labs: so-called pattern evidence, areas such as fingerprint, foot print, tire impression examinations, bite marks, hand writing examination, hair comparison, and others. The NAS opined that these areas of the field did not have the requisite degree of scientific research to show that they are as good as proponents say they are or perhaps even valid. Barry Fisher, an internationally renowned expert in forensic science will give a short history of forensic science, describe some of the challenges facing the field and explain what steps are being done to address these concerns. Forensic science plays a critical role in the criminal justice system. It has the power to exonerate and to convict. Public policy demands it be as near perfect as possible.
Please RSVP:
http://www.cos.ucf.edu/dss/fisher/ Read More