Forensics Unit 2

Question 1

What is the goal of ? CSI

Answer 1

To recognise, document, and collect evidence at a crime scene as well as piece together evidence to form a picture of what happened at a crime scene

Question 2

Direct Evidence

Answer 2

Statement made under oath/testimonial evidence

Question 3

Individual Evidence

Answer 3

Narrows an identity to a single person or thing. This is found by either a unique combination of characteristics that could only belong to a person or thing
Always involves a comparison

Question 4

Circumstantial Evidence

Answer 4

Any object or material relevant to a crime
1. physical evidence,
2. Locard’s exchange principle
3. class vs individual evidence

Question 5

Class evidence

Answer 5

Narrows an identity to a group of persons or things

Question 6

Trace Evidence

Answer 6

SMall but measurable amounts of physical or biological material found at a crime scene

Question 7

Example of Trace Evidence

Answer 7

blood, prints, fibers, hair, body fluids

Question 8

Who is at a crime scene

Answer 8

Police/district attorney
CSI
Medical examiners
detectives
specialists

Question 9

Seven S’s of crime scenes

Answer 9

1. Secure the scene
2. Separate the witnesses
3. Scan the Scene
4. See to it that crime scene examiners receive overall and close up photos with an without measuring rulers
5. Sketch the scene
6. Search for evidence
7. Secure the collected evidence

Question 10

Secure the scene

Answer 10

Responsibility: First responder
1st priority: Safety of individuals
2nd priority: Preserving evidence
they establish a perimeter and keep track of people at the scene

Question 11

Separating the Witnesses

Answer 11

Investigators compared witness notes

Question 12

What is each witness asked

Answer 12

When did the crime occur
Who called in the scene
Who was the victim
Can the perpetrador be identified
What did you see happen
Where were you when you observed the crime scene

Question 13

Scan the Scene

Answer 13

Done by forensic examiners
Determines where photos should be taken

Question 14

Seeing the Scene

Answer 14

Crime scene examiners need to see the scene
they take tons of photos from wide to tight

Question 15

Sketch the Scene

Answer 15

Accurate rough sketch
Note positions of body/evidence
Objects should be measured from two immovable points
North is labeled
A more accurate sketch is made for court

Question 16

Searching for Evidence

Answer 16

A spiral, grid, linear, pattern should be walked and location of evidence marked, photographed and sketched
Also oblique lighting needed

Question 17

Securing and Collecting Evidence

Answer 17

All evidence needs to be properly packaged, sealed, and labeled

Question 18

How should evidence be stored

Answer 18

Liquids and arson remains in an airtight container
Biological evidence in a breathable contrainters to dry out
Other evidence should be put in a paper bindle then in a bag/container
It needs to be taped shut and signed by collector

Question 19

Chain of custody

Answer 19

Used to present credible evidence in court
1. a person bags evidence, marks it for identification, seals it and signed it across the sealed edge
2. Signed over to a technician in a lab for analysis who opens it but not on the sealed edge
3. After analysis the technician puts it back in the evidence bag, seals it in another bad and signs evidence log

Question 20

Primary Crime scene vs Secondary Crime scene

Answer 20

Primary scene is where the crime is committed
A second scene would be the home of the suspect

Question 21

What does crime scene reconstruction involve?

Answer 21

You need to form a hypothesis on the sequence of events from before the crime was committed through its commision

Question 22

What is a bindle and what is it used for?

Answer 22

A bindle is a paper bag used for transporting and holding evidence

Question 23

Why is oblique lighting important?

Answer 23

This makes it so that evidence is easier to see from the naked eye

Question 24

What guidelines must a judge follow to determine the admissibility of evidence.

Answer 24

Falsifiability- refers to testing new theories and methods (repeatable results are valid)
Known error rates
Peer review
General Acceptance

Question 25

What does the medical examiner do? What’s another term for a medical examiner?

Answer 25

Forensic pathologists, who have specialized training in death investigation

Question 26

Who makes up the crime scene investigation team?

Answer 26

crime scene photographers and evidence collection personnel specializing in gathering specific evidence such as latent print

Question 27

What is an exemplar?

Answer 27

legally admissible authentic samples of handwriting used for comparison with questioned writing

Question 28

What is the significance of the Frye Standard and the Daubert Ruling?

Answer 28

Frye Standard: Used to determine the admissibility of an experts scientific testimony
Daubert Ruling: Judge determines whether an expert witnesses scientific testimony is based on scientifically valid reasoning that which can properly be applied to facts at issue

Question 29

How can you tell if a crime scene is staged

Answer 29

Initially all death crimes are treated as homicide
See if wounds could be easily self inflicted
Establishes a victim profile
Behavior before event
Reconstruct the event