Product Description: Each anthology is composed of a wide spectrum of primary sources written by many of the foremost authorities in their respective fields. This unique approach provides students with a concise view of divergent opinions on each topic. Extensive book and periodical bibliographies and a list of organizations to contact are also included.

Foreword -- Introduction -- Is Forensic Technology Unreliable? -- Chapter preface -- Yes: Many common forensic technologies have not been scientifically validated -- Quality of forensic investigation varies widely due to a lack of standards / National Research Council -- More research in forensic science is needed to prevent wrongful convictions / Peter Neufeld -- Both fraud and error in forensic investigation are common / Radley Balko and Roger Koppl -- There is no scientific basis for trusting fingerprint evidence / Simon A Cole -- Defense now has the right to question forensic analysts during trials / Lyle Denniston -- No: Forensic evidence is not as unreliable as recent reports suggest -- Efforts to solve the problems of forensic science are already underway / Tabatha Wethal -- Official report on the state of forensics is interfering with prosecutions / Barry Matson -- Forensic technology has been wrongly criticized as unscientific / Crime Lab Report -- Does The CSI Effect Influence Verdicts In Jury Trails -- Yes: Juries and lawyers are affected by fictional portrayals of crime investigation -- TV drama CSI is affecting how jurors react in real-life trials / Richard Willing -- CSI effect is leading to unwarranted acquittals / Jeffrey Heinrick -- Judges should take steps to counter CSI's influence on jurors / Joshua K Marquis -- Criminal litigation process is being altered by fear of the CSI effect / Tamara F Lawson -- No: There is no evidence that TV fiction has changed jury behavior -- Expectations of forensic evidence has no bearing on jurors' decisions / Donald E Shelton -- CSI effect exists only in the minds of those who propose it / Kimberlianne Podlas -- Wide media coverage of the CSI effect may itself influence jury reactions / Simon A Cole and Rachel Dioso-Villa -- Can new forensic technologies determine if someone is lying? -- Chapter preface -- Yes: New technologies can detect concealment of information or dishonesty -- Recordings of brain activity show whether a fact is stored in someone's memory / Sam Simon -- Brain scanning accurately detects lies during experiments / Malcolm Ritter -- Hand-held lie detectors may be useful for screening purposes / Bill Dedman -- No: Lie detection technologies are not accurate enough to use in criminal investigations -- Assumption that physical reactions can detect lying is not valid / Melissa Mitchell -- Brain scanning has not been sufficiently tested for public use / Aalok Mehta -- Voice stress analysis cannot adequately distinguish lies from truth / Kelly R Damphousse -- What improvements in forensic technology are being tried? -- Chapter preface -- Improved techniques for analyzing stains provide information about crimes / Matt Martin -- Micro-stamping of firearms is not an effective means of identifying criminals / Wendy Wang -- DNA testing is now being used with non-violent crimes / Dan Morse -- DNA samples can provide clues to a crime suspect's physical appearance / Evan Pellegrino -- CT scanning has many advantages over conventional autopsies / Douglas Page -- Attempts are underway to make bite mark analysis more scientific / Todd Richmond -- Soil analysis is becoming a powerful technique for crime investigation / Louise Murray -- Research on decomposing bodies provides important data for forensics / Mike Osborne -- Organizations to contact -- Bibliography -- Index.