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APPLICATIONS OF METEOROLOGY TO LEGAL SERVICES IN ONTARIO (CANADA)

NCJ Number
60367
Journal
Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 57-64
Author(s)
R G LAWFORD
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
PAST AND POSSIBLE USES OF METEOROLOGICAL DATA IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN ONTARIO, CANADA, ARE REVIEWED IN ORDER TO ADVISE LAWYERS AND INVESTIGATORS ABOUT USE OF SUCH INFORMATION IN A LEGAL PROCEEDING.
Abstract
IN ONTARIO, METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED BY A CLIMATOLOGICAL TECHNICIAN OR A METEOROLOGIST. DATA COME FROM AN HOURLY OBSERVING NETWORK AND A CLIMATOLOGICAL NETWORK. OBSERVING STATIONS ARE DISTRIBUTED ROUGHLY ACCORDING TO POPULATION DENSITY. DATA COLLECTED INCLUDE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, CLOUD HEIGHT, TEMPERATURE, DEW POINT, WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION, VISIBILITY, AND PRECIPITATION. WEATHER RECORDS ARE USED BOTH IN INVESTIGATING CRIME AND TO DISCREDIT OR ACCREDIT WITNESSES AT A TRIAL. IN INVESTIGATING A CRIME, FOR EXAMPLE, DETECTIVES MAY COMBINE WEATHER INFORMATION WITH DATA COLLECTED BY FORENSIC SOIL SCIENTISTS OR FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTS TO DETERMINE THE TIME OF A CRIME. WEATHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN APPLIED IN BOTH CRIMINAL AND CIVIL PROCEEDINGS. INVESTIGATORS OR LAWYERS PLANNING TO USE WEATHER INFORMATION SHOULD OBTAIN A WEATHER KIT, BE AWARE THAT WEATHER AT THE OBSERVING STATION MAY DIFFER FROM WEATHER AT THE CRIME SCENE, AND AVOID ALIENATING POSSIBLE WITNESSES BY SERVING SUBPOENAS ON CLIMATOLOGICAL TECHNICIANS ONLY ON NECESSARY OCCASIONS. USES OF WEATHER INFORMATION COULD BE EXPANDED. FOR INSTANCE, TRAFFIC COURTS AND POLICE COULD USE WEATHER RADARS TO OBTAIN DETAILED INFORMATION ON PRECIPITATION INTENSITIES OVER SMALL AREAS WHEN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. IN ADDITION, POLICE OPERATIONAL UNITS COULD USE CONTINUOUS CURRENT WEATHER INFORMATION IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE OFFICERS IN AREAS WHERE ACCIDENTS OR CONGESTION WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR. ONE ILLUSTRATION, AN ABSTRACT IN FRENCH, AND TABLES OF WEATHER PARAMETERS MOST FREQUENTLY USED IN INVESTIGATIONS AND CIVIL LITIGATION PROCEEDINGS ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)