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A forensic pathologist is someone who testifies to the time of death, and the causes of death. Coroners and medical examiners perform the same function. The training of a forensic pathologist teaches them how to interpret the state of the dead body to work out what the cause of death was. These experts will look at a body with multiple stab wounds in detail, and may in fact identify that the cause of death was a heart attack brought on by shock, and the stab wounds came after death. Often a forensic pathologist will be able to identify the weapon used by looking at the wounds.

A typical team of forensic pathologists use a range of techniques, from neutron activation analysis (NAA) through to the use of infrared. In the case of NAA the pathologists are able to test for highly specific information, such as whether there are traces of drugs, or gun residue, on an object. If a piece of fabric has been left at the scene of a crime they may be able to trace exactly where it was sold.

NAA works by blasting neutrons at an object and then measuring gamma rays that are emitted. It is pretty widely accepted these days, but some judges will still insist that its validity is argued in a case before it can be admitted as evidence. This will vary from state to state, and case to case.

Another branch of forensics that is well known is that of fingerprinting. It works by using chemical and powders to highlight the unique friction ridges that all people have. It is useful in identifying whether a criminal was present at a crime scene. However, the time that a fingerprint was left can never be clearly established and this leads to defendants claiming that they left the print at the crime scene on a separate occasion from that when the crime was committed.

DNA fingerprinting is yet another branch of forensics, and these days DNA evidence is becoming more and more prevalent. Forensic pathologist jobs are certainly some of the most interesting in the criminal field.

Forensic Pathologist Jobs are some of the most fascinating in the field of criminal law. You can find out about these jobs at http://hubpages.com/hub/Forensic-Pathologist-Jobs