Ethics in Forensic Science

Class Code: 
A130
Subject Area: 
A - Professional Communication and Conduct Program
Class Location: 
Various
Class Description: 

This one-day (eight-hour) course focuses on the practical application of forensic science ethics codes to ethical dilemmas encountered in forensic science. It also offers insight into the enforcement and background of ethics codes. The course provides tools to readily access the content of over three dozen forensic science ethics documents from around the world. Students apply that content to realistic scenarios encountered in forensic science and discuss their results with the class. Lecture materials offer insight into the role of morals, purposes of ethics documents, character traits that could factor into unethical conduct, historical background, enforcement policies, encountering unethical conduct, filing an ethics complaint, being the subject of an ethics allegation, the role of ethics in cognitive bias, lawyer’s ethics, and discovery rules. The target audience is individuals who work with evidence in traditional crime laboratory disciplines or who teach in a forensic science program (e.g., criminalists, latent print examiners, questioned document examiners, evidence technicians, and forensic science educators). Class size is limited to fifteen students.

Instructor: 
Carolyn Gannett
Teaching Methods: 
Classroom lectures, class discussions, and small-group practical exercises.
Objectives: 
Students will be required to become familiar with the content of forensic science ethics documents from around the world and to complete practical exercises in applying that knowledge to realistic ethical dilemmas.
Preparation: 
Prior to class, students must submit a short scenario (about one paragraph) describing an ethical dilemma in forensic science. The submitter shall redact any identifying information. The instructor will not link student names to those submissions that are used in class.
Tuition: 
No cost to POST-supported or State of California based law enforcement agencies. A $120.00 tuition fee will be required for all other public agency, private sector, or out-of-state applicants. Make check(s) payable to the California Department of Justice.
Course Contact: 
Neda Khoshkebari (916) 464-5599, (916)464-0600
More Information: 

Schedule of Classes:

Location Date(s)
Los Angeles March 29, 2018
Rancho Cordova May 31, 2018
Richmond January 18, 2018