CHEMISTRY 113 has not been updated for the current academic year; this is an older version of the syllabus to provide an idea of the scope of the course
CHEMISTRY AND CRIME
FROM SHERLOCK HOLMES TO MODERN FORENSIC SCIENCECourse Description
- Professor Lawrence J. Kaplan
- Department of Chemistry
- Williams College
- Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267
- Office: 210 Thompson Chemistry Laboratory
- Phone: 413-597-3303
| Course Description |
In an article on forensic science in Chemistry in Britain the editor stated, “The most tangible way in which science, especially chemistry, can be concerned with the well-being of society is its use in the maintenance of the fabric of society as expressed in the constant vigil against crime.” While this may be an overstatement, it is true that science has had an enormous impact on the definition and enforcement of the laws enacted to regulate society. Specifically, forensic science is the application of scientific principles to criminal and civil laws within a criminal justice system with the goal toward the establishment of guilt or innocence.
This course was designed to introduce some of the specialized fields of forensic science, to learn the fundamental principles of science and technology upon which they are based, and to apply them to a number of suspicious situations and criminal cases. We will explore aspects of forensic science involving the examination of physical, chemical, and biological items of evidence. The forensic analysis of substances such as glass, soil, hair, ink, bullets, gunpowder and drugs will be understood after an introduction to the concepts of basic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and organic chemistry. The methods used for the analysis for alcohol, carbon monoxide, and drugs and for the characterization of blood and other body fluids will be discussed in the context of the principles of biochemistry, toxicology, pharmacology, and serology.
Since forensic scientists also must have an understanding of the legal system to insure that their actions and results are within the rules of law and are admissible in the courts, we will discuss: the scope of expert investigation and the matter of expert qualifications, the nature of the results which may be expected from the laboratory, and the law as it applies to the admission of test results in evidence. This area has taken on dramatic new dimensions with the issues surrounding the acceptance of DNA profiling results in the court.
While the scientific and technological background will allow us to analyze a number of interesting specific cases, it is hoped that the course will instill an appreciation for chemistry as a discipline intimately related to one’s life, and for science in general, as an open-ended field of study through which one can understand everything from nutrition to nuclear energy. In a larger sense, however it is hoped that the course will serve as a vehicle for understanding the nature of science and the function of a scientist, including what he/she does, how he/she does it, and the consequences of his/her actions.
| Criminalistics: Application of scientific techniques in collecting and analyzing physical evidence in criminal cases.
– Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary |
| Primary Sources |
Richard Saferstein, Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, 8th edition, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 2004.
John W. Hill and Doris K. Kolb, Chemistry for Changing Times, 10th edition, Prentice-Hall, New York, 2004.
L. J. Kaplan, “A Laboratory Manual for an Introduction to the Crime Lab,” Williamstown, Massachusetts, 2006. (The laboratory manual provides specific instructions on the use of various procedures and techniques as well as useful background material.)
An online syllabus contains many links to sites that deal with many of the cases discussed in class. Reference to these sites is given here instead of providing each student with a packet of readings about the cases. It is expected that you will use this online syllabus for this resource and check for periodic updates.
| Primary References (on the reserve shelf in the Schow Science Library) |
A. A. Moenssens, J. E. Starrs, C. E. Henderson, and F. E. Inbau, Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases, 4th edition, Foundation Press, Westbury, New York, 1995. (An authoritative text on law and forensic evidence providing both the scientific background for the work of a forensic scientist and the legal application of the results obtained.)
B. A. J. Fisher, (earlier editions with A. Svensson, and O. Wendell), Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, 6th edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2000. (This book is recognised as the classic work on crime scene investigation and the appropriate chapters should be consulted before processing the crime and before handling the evidence in the crime lab.)
| Supplementary References (on the reserve shelf in the Schow Science Library) |
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Annotated Sherlock Holmes, Baring-Gould, W. S., editor, 2 vol., Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., New York, 1967. (The quotations in the syllabus to the Sherlock Holmes stories are from this book.)
John W. Poulos, The Biography of a Homicide: A Case Study from Arrest through Trial, Foundation Press, Mineola, New York, 1976. (This book illustrates the dynamics of criminal justice by following a homicide case from the moment the police are called through the conviction of the defendant in a trial by jury.)
| World Wide Web Sites |
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
The site of the professional society dedicated to the promotion of the applicationof science to the law.
Forensics.ca – The Forensic Science Portal
An extensive forensic science web resource. It contains a great deal of information and many links to other valuable pages.
This site provides detailed guidelines and information regarding crime scene investigation including the collection and preservation of evidence such as bloodstains, seminal fluid, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, firearms, document, and fingerprints.
A terrific reference page itself with a number of links to other pages dealing with forensic science.
Another terrific, very comprehensive page with many links to other sites dealing with forensic science.
| Evaluation |
The evaluation will be based upon the following work.
- Problem sets
- Quizzes
- Midterm examination
- Active participation in the laboratory program; submission of the laboratory report
- Final examination
Submission of all written work is required for a passing grade.
| Syllabus |
For more information, see the detailed syllabus for this course.
| For more information, contact |
©Professor Lawrence J. KaplanDepartment of ChemsitryWilliams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts, 01267Phone: 413-597-3303Fax: 413-597-4150Email: [email protected]