Homework Assignment 1 PDF

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Homework Assignment 1...

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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Hannah Strickland

Homework Assignment 1 Qualification (Voir dire) - What is your name? [Spell your last name.] • My name is Hannah Strickland. - Where do you work? • I work for the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS) - What is your job title? • I have the job title of a forensic toxicologist. - How long have you held this position? • 1 year - What do you do as a forensic toxicologist? • As a forensic toxicologist, I analyze biological specimens for the presence of drugs and poisons. These analyzations aid in establishing the cause and manner of death, or to explain the impairment of an individual in a crime.

- What is forensic toxicology? • Forensic toxicology is applying learned subjects such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology to aid in legal investigations such as deaths or crimes.

- What education do you have that qualifies you to do this work? • I have a bachelors degree in chemistry, with a minor in biology, and concentration in forensics. - Do you have any other professional development or training relating to this work? • Yes, I had a summer internship with the ADFS toxicology lab. - Are you familiar with the effects of alcohol, drugs and poisons on people? • Yes - What is the basis for your knowledge of these effects? • I am familiar with the types of doses (such as lethal, effective, and toxic). I’m also familiar with the type of toxicity a xenobiotic can cause (nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatoxicity).

- Are you required to be licensed to perform your duties? • Yes - If so, what is the nature of this licensure? • Yes, I have a license issued by ADFS. This includes competency testing within ADFS. - Do you have professional certification within your field? • Yes, I have certification from the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT), - Is your laboratory accredited to conduct forensic toxicological analyses? • Yes I work for a lab that is part of The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD-LAB).

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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Hannah Strickland

- What does this accreditation process mean for your laboratory? • Accreditation is important for the management and technical aspects of a lab. Accreditation is also important for being a credible and reliable source in court.

- Do you belong to any professional organizations? • Yes, I belong to the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) - Are you familiar with the methods employed to conduct forensic toxicological analyses? • Yes - What are those methods, in general? • Depending on the sample being analyzed, these methods are generally GCMS, HS/GC/MS, as well as the use of equipment such as the Draeger Alcotest 7110.

- How many times have your conducted these methods? • These methods are conducted with every analysis. - Have you been qualified as an expert in Court? • Yes, I a qualified as an expert witness in court. My qualifications include credible and reliable work as a toxicologist, a degree in chemistry, I am certified by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, and and I work for an accredited laboratory

- How many times? • I have been an expert witness in one case. - Have you ever been denied qualification as an expert in Court? • No

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