Entomology and the Law: Flies as Forensic Indicators [Hardcover]

Bernard Greenberg (Author), John Charles Kunich (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521809150 | ISBN-13: 978-0521809153 | Publication Date: September 30, 2002 | Edition: 1st

Insect-related evidence is one of the most powerful, least understood examples of modern forensic science. Entomology and the Law is a detailed roadmap from crime scene to courtroom--for entomologists, law enforcement personnel and lawyers preparing for trial. Part I focuses on carrion flies as forensic indicators, exploring relevant biology clearly and concisely illustrated by real-life cases. Part II is a thorough examination of the law of scientific evidence worldwide, complete with caselaw, applicable code provisions, and legal issues relevant to the admissibility and use of forensic entomology in litigation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... the authors are to be congratulated on a book of sound scholarship and of great practical value.' Science & Justice

Book Description

Entomology and the Law is about the use of insects to solve crimes and other legal mysteries. As with any new science, its flaws and shortcomings are sometimes minimised or ignored by enthusiastic practitioners. Providing a detailed 'roadmap' that can be followed from crime scene to courtroom, and covering both the relevant science and the law of scientific evidence as it pertains to forensic entomology, this book provides a vital and unique resource for forensic entomologists, law enforcement personnel and lawyers preparing for trial.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 330 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (September 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521809150
• ISBN-13: 978-0521809153
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,082,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entomology and the Law, June 10, 2003

By 

swootchie (Highland, UT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Entomology and the Law: Flies as Forensic Indicators (Hardcover)

This book has it all. If ever a book crossed the lines of genre from a working guide for a professional in his field to an interesting read for the inquisitive mind, this book is it. This book is for the professional who has anything to do with a murder scene or wrongful death situation. This book is for everyone who watches television because "Entomology and the Law" is the marriage of a great murder mystery crossed with an investigatory courtroom drama. This book is for every litigator who wants to effectively use the law of scientific evidence in the courtroom. This book is for the layman who wants to know more. You see, it's about bugs. Gross bugs. Flys actually, and the fact that flys can be accurately used to identify the time and location of death. Interesting? Yes. Easy read? No. Necessary read? DEFINITELY.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New must-have book on Forensic Entomology., December 13, 2002

By 

Richard Barts (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Entomology and the Law: Flies as Forensic Indicators (Hardcover)

ENTOMOLOGY AND THE LAW is the definitive book on forensic entomology we've been asking for. Kunich and Greenberg are an
unbeatable "Dream Team" when it comes to combining the law and the science. Everything anyone might need to know about forensic
entomology is in this book. For the scientists/expert witnesses, the "Father of Forensic Entomology", Dr. Bernard
Greenberg, provides a meticulous, highly detailed, and comprehensive guide to using insect-related evidence to determine the time of death in homicide cases. No one in the world knows more about the science and practice of forensic
entomology than Dr. Greenberg, and he has memorialized his decades of research and experience in this volume, the crowning achievement of his unsurpassed career. And for the attorneys who litigate these difficult cases, and who must either prepare or cross-examine the expert witnesses, Law Professor and Harvard Law School graduate John Kunich spells out all of the intricacies of the law of scientific evidence, use of expert witnesses, and specific strengths and weaknesses of forensic entomology evidence in court. ETOMOLOGY AND THE LAW will be indispensable for litigators and scientists all over the world, because of the information it contains on admissibility of scientific evidence in nations other than the United States. Even laypersons will enjoy this book, especially the millions of viewers of the hit television show "C.S.I. (Crime Scene Investigation)," which often features forensic entomology in its dramas. What a rare and sublime union of law and science this book is!

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive? Hardly, July 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Entomology and the Law: Flies as Forensic Indicators (Hardcover)

Entomology and the Law by Greenberg and Kunich was promoted to be "the first comprehensive book on forensic entomology." This book certainly does not live up to that description, though it is a decent book in its own rights. At [the price], the book seems a little thin and incomplete.

The first section of the book, written by Dr. Greenberg, deals with the history, biology, identification, and use of forensically important flies. Dr. Greenberg's knowledge of flies is indeed extensive, and he has included keys to species of adults and larvae (pupae are ignored) of carrion flies from many parts of the world. Note that only flies are covered in this book, and all of the other forensically important insects are ignored. Also there is no mention of insect succession on the corpse outside of the preface to the first section of the book. This aspect alone limits the application of this book to the early postmortem interval.

The second section of the book, written by John Kunich, focuses on the legal applications of forensic entomology. This section deals with the laws behind scientific evidence, the admissibility of insect evidence, and how to optimize the use of such evidence. Placing the legal aspects into the prospective of forensic entomology made this section useful to the scientist who is interested in that aspect of the criminal justice system alone.

This book is far from being comprehensive. Nowhere are the details of the collection of entomological evidence presented, successional patterns of insects are largely ignored, and the temperature information included in the book is incomplete. Though lawyers and entomologists with experience in the field of medicocriminal entomology will benefit from this book, the curious lay person or law enforcement official should save their money and purchase either Catts & Haskell or Byrd & Castner.