Forensic Linguistics

The Practical Applications

What is forensic science?

Forensic Science

• “forensic” basically answering questions of interest in a legal setting.

• Umbrella term encompassing:• The physiological sciences, anthropology,

entomology, botany, biology.• Criminalistics such as ballistics, accounting and

fingerprints.• And the social sciences including psychology,

and LINGUISTICS.

Forensic Linguistics

• A relatively new discipline • The use of linguistic theory to:• Interpret the law• Facilitate and analyze law to lay person

interactions• And to compile expert linguistic evidence

Practical Applications: Questioning

Clark and Clark 1977

General Pattern ± Explicit Negative Response Time

True affirmative The square is present. Fastest

False affirmative The circle is present.

False negative The square isn’t present.

True negative The circle isn’t present. Slowest

Practical Applications: Questioning

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY,CALL 911.

Signs of a Malicious Call.• Slow answers ( X > a few hundredths of a

second.)• Incompletion.• Irrelevance.

11 Right and it’s smoke is it?12 Yeah. Smoke coming out of the roof.13 From the roof?14 I haven’t been there to investigate but I-

Rapid Exchange

TXT MSG 4N6

Disputed authorship

• Idiolect – individuals unique linguistically.• Potential authors in a case of disputed texts.• Individual sylism in text messages.

Known Text Messages

• Yeah shud b gud.i just have2get my finga out and do anotha tape.wil do it on sun.will seems keen2x

• Shit is it.fuck icant2day ive already booked2go bowling.cant realy pull out.wil go2shop and get her sumetsoon.thanx4tdlin me x

• No reason just seing what ur up2.want2go shopping on fri and2will’s on sun if ur up2itSorry im not out2nite havnt seen u 4a while aswel.ru free2moro at all x

Disputed Text Messages• Thought u wer grassing me up.mite b in trub wiv me dad told mum i was

lving didnt giv a shit.been2 kessick camping was great.ave2 go cya• Hi jen tell jak i am ok know ever 1s gona b mad tell them i am sorry.living

in Scotland wiv my boyfriend. shitting meself dads gona kill me mum dont give a shite.hope nik didnt grass me up.keeping phone of.tell dad car jumps out of gear and stalls put it back in auction.tell him i am sorry

• Y do u h8 me i know mum does.told her i was goin.i aint cumin back and the pigs wont find me.i am happy living up here.every1 h8s me in rich only m8 i got is jak.txt u couple wks tell pigs i am nearly 20 aint cumin back they can shite off

• She got me in this shit its her fault not mine get blame 4evrything.i am sorry ok just had 2 lve shes a bitch no food in and always searching me room eating me sweets.ave2 go ok i am very sorry x

Study by Tim Grant

In 5000+ text messages, between a 500+ member data pool texts from the same author were more similar than those between different authors.

References

• Coulthard, M. The Linguist as Detective & Expert Witness. Conducted from AstonUniversity, Birmingham, England. May 13, 2008.

• Coulthard, M., & Johnson, A. (Eds.). (2010). The Routledge Handbook of ForensicLinguistics. (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

• Olsson, J. (2004). 10 Forensic Text Types. In Forensic Linguistics An Introduction To Language, Crime And The Law.. (1st ed.). New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group.

• Parker, F., & Riley, K. (2010). Linguistics For Non-Linguists. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: PearsonEducation, Inc.