TY - BOOK AU - Bowen, Robin T. TI - Ethics and the practice of forensic sciience SN - 9781420088939 U1 - 174.936325 PY - 2010/// CY - London PB - CRC Press N1 - 1 What Is Ethics? 1 Introduction 1 Ethical Theories 2 The Study of Ethics 3 Utilitarianism: The Greater Good 4 Deontological Ethics: Obligation and Intention 6 Comparing Approaches for Forensic Science 8 Ethical Decision Making 9 Framework for Ethical Decisions 12 Rule 1: Inherent Good Surpasses Noninherent Good 13 Rule 2: Noninherent Evil Surpasses Inherent Evil 14 Rule 3: When Selecting between Levels of Good or Evil, Select the Highest Good or the Lowest Evil 14 Result of Decisions 14 2 The Ethics of the Criminal Justice Culture 19 Introduction 19 Recruitment 20 Culture 21 Ethics of Criminal Justice 23 Ethics Training 25 Unethical Behavior 26 Sources of Pressure for the Forensic Scientist 31 3 Ethics in the Courtroom: The Scientist's Perspective Introduction Role of Attorneys 34 vii Vlll Attorney-Expert Relationship Misconduct Examples of Misconduct Duke Lacrosse Case, 2006 Federal Prosecutors, 2007 Research Ethics in Science Introduction Science, Technology, and Society Research and Publication Ethics in Science and Research Misconduct Ethics in Forensic Science Introduction Crime Scene Laboratory Role of the Scientific Expert Witness Qualification Admissibility of Scientific Evidence Table of Contents The Frye Case 67 The Daubert Case Parameters 69 Misconduct 71 Unethical Behavior: The Fork in the Road 75 Introduction 75 Unethical Behavior 77 Motivation 82 Justification 85 Consequences 86 Whistle-Blowing 88 Good Examples of Bad Behavior 93 0. J. Simpson Case Case Studies False Credentials (Associated Press, 2007a) 94 Misleading Degree (Moran, 2006) Pros Cons Abuse of Power (North, 2001) 36 38 40 41 42 45 45 46 48 51 52 57 57 58 59 61 64 66 68 93 94 96 96 96 97 Table of Contents Supporting a Habit (Huicochea, 2008) "Errors" (Armstrong, 2007) Prosecutor Pressure (Moxley, 2008) Detroit (Clickondetroit.com, 2008) Procedure (Johnson, 2008) Fingerprints (Associated Press, 2008) Personal Gain (Bone, 2007) Research (Associated Press, 2006) So What Happened? What Was the Scientists' Defense? On the Other Hand... FBI Whistle-Blower Notorious Examples Every Forensic Scientist Should Know Fred Zain Michael West Kathleen Lundy Allison Lancaster David Petersen Joyce Gilcrist Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory 8 Codes of Ethics Introduction National Forensic Center Developing Codes of Ethics Purpose Council of Scientific Society Presidents Study of Codes of Ethics Familiarity with Codes of Ethics The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Article II. Code of Ethics and Conduct The American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) Rules of Professional Conduct ■ American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors The International Association for Identification (lAI) An Ethical Approach to Forensic Professionalism 123 Introduction Education Competence Professions and Professionalism IX 98 98 99 100 101 102 102 103 103 104 104 104 105 105 105 105 105 106 106 106 107 107 109 110 111 113 113 114 114 118 118 120 120 123 123 126 127 Table of Contents ix Supporting a Habit (Huicochea, 2008) 98 "Errors" (Armstrong, 2007) 98 Prosecutor Pressure (Moxley, 2008) 99 Detroit (Clickondetroit.com, 2008) 100 Procedure (Johnson, 2008) 101 Fingerprints (Associated Press, 2008) 102 Personal Gain (Bone, 2007) 102 Research (Associated Press, 2006) 103 So What Happened? 103 What Was the Scientists' Defense? 104 On the Other Hand... 104 FBI Whistle-Blower 104 Notorious Examples Every Fore.isic Scientist Should Know 105 Fred Zain 105 Michael West 105 Kathleen Lundy 105 Allison Lancaster 105 David Petersen 106 Joyce Gilcrist 106 Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory 106 8 Codes of Ethics 107 Introduction 107 National Forensic Center 109 Developing Codes of Ethics 110 Purpose 111 Council of Scientific Society Presidents Study of Codes of Ethics 113 Familiarity with Codes of Ethics 113 The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 114 Article 11. Code of Ethics and Conduct 114 The American Board of Criminalistics (ABC) 118 Rules of Professional Conduct 118 American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors 120 The International Association for Identification (lAI) 120 9 An Ethical Approach to Forensic Professionalism 123 Introduction 123 Education 123 Competence 126 Professions and Professionalism 127 Awareness National Academy of Sciences Report Appendix A: Initial Research Data on Ethics in Forensic Table of Contents Science 131 Appendix B: Additional U.S. Forensic Science Professional Codes of Ethics 141 Appendix C: U.S. Law Enforcement Professional Codes of Ethics 157 Appendix D: International Forensic Science Professional Codes of Ethics Bibliography Index 128 129 171 165 187 Foreword DOUGLAS M. LUCAS Forensic scientists have been assisting the judicial process throughout the world for at least several hundred years through the provision of scientific and techni cal information derived from physical evidence of all kinds. This information has been, and continues to be, delivered in the form of verbal or written reports to investigators and attorneys or by means of viva voce testimony in courts or tribunals of various kinds. Throughout this time, these specialized scientists and technicians have usually performed their examinations according to the appropriate professional standards of the day and the generally accepted ethics of their professions. In earlier times, the latter were generally intuitive rather than promulgated, but in more recent years professional codes of ethics have I been developed to assist in the guidance of what is and is not acceptable. Notwithstanding this, the timing of the publication of this book on ethi cal practices in forensic science could not have been more appropriate. The interest of the general public in ethical performance in all fields has been Istimulated by the well-publicized departures from ethical practice by some business executives (at, e.g., Enron, AIG, Martha Stewart Omnimedia) and ty some in the world of sports (e.g., figure skating judges at the Salt Lake 'City Olympics, performance-enhancing drug users). Such deviations from acceptable practice have not been restricted to boardrooms or athletic ven ues; sadly, some have also occurred in forensic science laboratories. Although he numbers are relatively small, such events, when they do occur, develop ■ery high profiles. Major media headlines have been generated by issues in, or example, the laboratories of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the i)etroit Police Department, and the Houston Police Department. The latter Insulted in more than 200 articles in a single newspaper over a four-year reriod. The enhanced interest of the public at large in ethics has been mirrored additional emphasis by the forensic science profession on ethical con- dict In 2008 the principal forensic science laboratory accrediting body, the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation grard (ASCLD/LAB), began to require that staff of accredited labs receive t.iining in the application of ethical practices in forensic science. i In February 2009, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in its report Siengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward recom- rninded the following ER -