Essay - Odontology in Criminal Justice Forensics Introduction Odontology Has Been Historically...

ODONTOLOGY IN CRIM*****AL JUSTICE FORENSICS

INTRODUCTION

Odontology has been historically used or indeed, one might say misused within the framework of the judicial system to sway juries against factual evidence and to gain a conviction because ***** jury fails to understand or cannot understand how evidence can be molded purposely away from the truth ***** how by being little understood can enhance the perceived importance assigned to those facts.

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Flynn McRoberts and Steve Mills write in the Chicago Tribune report entitled: "From ***** Start, A Faulty Science" states: "The nation's leading forensic experts held their annual meeting in 1970 at Chicago's Drake Hotel, and all of the old guard was there. Fingerprint *****. Document examiners. Pathologists. Mingling among them on that late-winter day was a cluster of dentists who shared an interest in a budd*****g discipline. *****y called it forensic odontology, a decidedly novel application ***** dentistry--identifying violent criminals based on the b*****e marks they leave ***** the bodies of their victims. But to create their own division ***** the *****merican Academy of Forensic *****s and gain the credibility this would *****stow, 10 ***** these forensic odontologists were needed. Only eight were in the room. The solution: They trolled the meeting *****s of the Drake and recruited a couple of pathologists ***** also held dental degrees. With that, a new discipline w*****s born, joining other more commonly known investigative tools such as toxicology and bullet matching. Since that day in Chicago 34 years ago, bite-mark comparison has become a regular weapon in the forensic arsenal, with ***** testifying in courtrooms hundreds of times." (***** and Mills, 2004) David Faigman, University of California Hasting College of the Law pr*****essor ***** co-editor of Modern Scientific Evidence states a belief that bitemarks "probably ought to be the poster child for bad forensic science. It's not simply outsiders or defense att*****neys asking fundamental questions. Inside the tight fraternity ***** odontologists, skeptics are raising concerns about bite-mark comparisons." (McRoberts and Mills, *****) Dr. Michael Bowers, odontologist ***** lawyer and who has served on the American Board of Forensic Odontology examination and credentialing committee, which is ***** *****'s ***** professional organization ***** that the comparisons "are flawed and bashed on wishful thinking, as far ***** being conclusive scientifically." (McRoberts and Mills, 2004) ***** and Hall referred to forensic odontology as being a "science-based art'.

LITERATURE REVIEW

***** work of Karazulas (2001) *****: "New Forensic Odontology Tools" describes advances in forensic odontology, which were used in **********g a conviction ***** Alfred Swinton in the C*****rla Terry murder trial. The technology used was newly patented image processing software by ***** name 'Lucis' which enhancing patterns in the bitemark of the human ***** and enables conclusive pro***** of bitemark identification. Lucis is a s*****tware ***** processes Photoshop images ***** has replaced the older method, which is a less accurate ***** in a process th*****t traces ***** teeth biting edges. Furthermore, study conducted on bitemark healing ***** have been successfully used in placing the murderer near the