Legal Definitions - criminalistics

Definition: Criminalistics is the scientific study of detecting crimes. It involves analyzing physical evidence in a laboratory, such as testing bullets, blood, and tissues. Criminalistics is different from criminology, which is the study of criminal behavior.

Example: When a gun is used in a crime, criminalistics can help determine if the bullet found at the scene matches the gun. By analyzing the bullet's markings and comparing them to the gun's barrel, criminalists can determine if the gun was used in the crime.

Another example: If a suspect's DNA is found at a crime scene, criminalistics can help determine if it is a match. By analyzing the DNA sample and comparing it to the suspect's DNA, criminalists can determine if the suspect was present at the crime scene.

These examples illustrate how criminalistics uses scientific methods to analyze physical evidence and help solve crimes.