American Board of Forensic Toxicology
• Applicants for a diplomate designation must possess a Doctor of Philosophy or a Doctor of Science degree in one of the natural sciences, an undergraduate education in biology or chemistry, training in pharmacology or toxicology, and at least 3 years of full-time professional experience in specific categories
The Board of Forensic Document Examiners o•ffers certification for forensic document examiners who meet specific education and training requirements. Candidates for certification must:

Ethics – the branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions, and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions

 Physical evidence – any object that can establish that a crime has been committed or link a crime and its victim or perpetrator

 Preservation – to keep possession of or retain for safe keeping

 Rules of Evidence – govern whether, when, how, and for what purpose proof of a case may be placed before a court for consideration

  Impartiality – not partial or biased; fair or just

 Testimony – the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court

 Expert Witness – the Forensic Scientist and or Crime Scene Technician presenting the findings of crime investigation in a court of law

 Chain of Custody – refers to the chronological documentation or paper trail, showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence, physical or electronic

1. Are independent, impartial, and objective, approaching all examinations with due diligence and an open mind.

2. Conduct complete and unbiased examinations. Conclusions are based on the evidence and reference material relevant to the evidence, not extraneous information, political pressure, or other outside influences.

3. Render conclusions only within their area of expertise, and about matters which they have given formal consideration.

4. Honestly communicate with all parties (the investigator, prosecutor, defense, and other expert witnesses) about all information relating to their analysis, when communications are permitted by law and agency practice.

5. Report to the appropriate legal or administrative authorities any unethical, illegal, or scientifically questionable conduct of other forensic scientists or laboratory employees.

6. Report conflicts between their ethical/professional responsibilities and applicable agency policy, law, regulation, or other legal authority, and attempt to resolve them.

7. Do not accept or participate in any case on a contingency fee basis or in which they have any other personal or financial conflict of interest or an appearance of such a conflict

In 1835, the first bullet comparison was performed. The bullet itself had a small flaw, which was traced back to the mold, leading to the identification of the person who bought, and later shot said bullet.

And in 1892, fingerprints finally made an official name for themselves as forensic evidence. Today, fingerprints are what most people first think of when they think of crime scene evidence. But until almost the 20th century, the individuality of a person's fingerprints was only suspected. 

That year marks the discovery of both the first crime solved by fingerprint analysis, and the calculation by Francis Galton that fingerprints had only a 1 in 64 billion chance of being alike.

In the 1920s, the comparison microscope became a staple in bullet comparison and the first portable polygraph was designed by John Larson and Leonard Keeler. Universities began offering political science and criminalistics courses and degrees in the 1930s, and in 1950 we see the University of California at Berkeley create one of the first criminology/criminalistics academic departments. The formation of the American Academy of Forensic Science in Chicago occurred during that same year

Whether it’s examining DNA to help determine guilt or innocence, analyzing the fingerprints left at a crime scene, or linking exploded bomb fragments to terrorists, the men and women of the FBI Laboratory are dedicated to using the rigors of science to solve cases and prevent acts of crime and terror.