CRIME LAB:

Foreword

Chance  favors the prepared mind.
--Louis  Pasteur

You are  in for a treat as you travel with author and criminalist John Houde through the  modern crime laboratory. You’ll go behind the scenes as he leads you through the  complex yet easy-to-follow steps of a typical crime scene investigation and  reconstruction

This  book is dedicated to The Juror. It could also have been dedicated to police  officers, attorneys, judges and journalists who will find this book an  interesting read. Even criminalists will discover the comprehensive material  contained within this book to be a useful tool. Many professional criminalists  have focused on their own training to the point of not understanding other areas  of the crime lab. The information in this book will be particularly helpful when  they have to testify in court, give guided tours through the laboratory or offer career guidance to young, future criminalists. Anything we can do to take the  mystery out of our work will go a long way in building credibility with jurors, attorneys and sworn law enforcement personnel.

A few in  our profession may take exception to an apparent oversimplification of complex  subject matter, but I found the explanations compelling, particularly in light  of the introductory quote by Albert Einstein. Turning the reader into a criminalist is not the intent here, but rather to present an interesting book on  forensic science without requiring the reader to consult a dictionary and a  dozen science books. That’s what great story tellers do, and John has  accomplished that with this book. Enjoy! And the next time you find yourself  watching court trials on television you’ll be able to follow the testimony of  expert witnesses.

Raymond  J. Davis