Midterm Flashcards
1
Q
The scientific method is:
A
a method used by investigators to reconstruct crime scene events; a multi step method of inquiry used by scientists
2
Q
What are considered manners of death?
A
Natural
Accident
Homicide
Undetermined
3
Q
What is not considered a manner of death?
A
Blunt force trauma
4
Q
If the K and Q samples do not match, what conclusion should be reported in the forensic laboratory report?
A
Exclusion
5
Q
What are the two types of physical matches?
A
Direct and indirect
6
Q
The “body” or basic elements of a crime are described by the Latin term:
A
Corpus Delicti
7
Q
What problem do you encounter when putting biological evidence in plastic packaging?
A
Mold can grow and destroy any DNA present
8
Q
What is the first step in the processing of physical evidence?
A
Recognition
9
Q
What acronym refers to the investigative database that contains known and unknown DNA profiles?
A
CODIS
10
Q
The science that examines the effects of extraneous materials such as poisons on the human body is known as:
A
toxicology
11
Q
What is the definition of “forensic science”?
A
The application of science to the law
12
Q
Tangential fracture lines have the following characteristics:
A
encircle the point of impact
13
Q
GSR patterns around a bullet hole are determine:
A
the muzzle to target distance
14
Q
What individual established one of the world’s first police crime laboratories in Lyon, France?
A
Edmond Locard
15
Q
What is not considered a class characteristic of fingerprints?
A
A dot
16
Q
What is an example of an indentation?
A
Tire marks in snow
17
Q
A blood droplet striking a non absorbent surface at a 10 degree angle of impact would form a bloodstain with the following shape:
A
A highly elongated ellipse
18
Q
A comparison shows that a questioned specimen does not originate from a known source. This result is termed:
A
An exclusion
19
Q
The type of marking made on a hard surface by the movement of a hard object across that surface is specifically known as:
A
a striation
20
Q
What is the acronym refers to a computer database of fingerprints?
A
AFIS
21
Q
What is an example of a striation mark?
A
Tool marks on a door frame from forced entry
22
Q
What is the purpose of ASCLD/LAB?
A
to provide agencies with accreditation standards
23
Q
In the Daubert decision, the Supreme Court issued guidelines for the admissibility of scientific evidence and advocated the role of “gate keeper” for which individual?
A
the trial judge
24
Q
What factors influence the final appearance of the bloodstain that is formed when a blood droplet strikes a surface?
A
- The volume of blood
- The texture of the target
- The impact angle
- The absorbance of the target surface
25
GSR is an acronym used by forensic science to represent::
gun shot residue
26
SWGFAST was a group made up of examiners proficient in what area?
fingerprint analysis
27
What investigative database contains known and unknown fingerprints?
AFIS and IAFIS
28
What is an example of a deposit?
Pollen on a car
29
Forensic science differs from traditional sciences because the results of physical evidence examination are:
used in legal proceedings
30
If the K and Q patterns match, what conclusion should be reported in the forensic lab report?
the known source is included as the source of the questioned sample
31
The national computer database of fingerprints that is maintained by the FBI is called:
IAFIS
32
What is an example of a transfer medium?
Pencil lead
33
What patterns can be used for crime scene reconstruction?
- Blood patterns
- Track and trial patterns
- Tire and skid mark patterns
34
What is not an example of an individualization pattern?
Tire and skid marks on the pavement
35
A blood droplet striking a non absorbent surface at an 80 degree angle of incidence would form a bloodstain with the following shape:
nearly circular
36
The science which studies the flight of a firearm's projectile through the air is called:
Ballistics
37
Establishing the exact whereabouts of an item of evidence and under whose control it was from the time its collection to its admissibility as evidence in court is known as maintaining:
chain of custody
38
Radial fracture lines have the following characteristics:
radiate outward from the point of impact
39
What is a cause of death?
Blunt force trama
40
Skid mark patterns can provide the following helpful information for crime scene reconstructions:
- The direction of movement of the vehicle
- The number of vehicles involved in an accident
- The exact location of the accident
41
What are examples of a class characteristic of footwear?
Size
Honeycomb sole pattern
Color
Heel height
42
What criteria would be used by the Court of Law to qualify a forensic scientist as an expert in his/her field?
Experience
Education
Training
43
What are the three types of fingerprints that can be found at a crime scene?
Latent, Plastic, Patent
44
What forensic organization is involved with the accreditation of forensic laboratories and crime scene units?
ASCLD/LAB
45
What are techniques used to improve the contrast between pattern evidence and background?
Side lighting
Fingerprint powders
Photoshop
Chemical dye stains
46
What forensic science profession involves bite mark comparisons?
Forensic odontology
47
What is an example of a primary physical match?
Pieces of a broken mug
48
The best container for a bloody shirt is:
a brown paper bag
49
Probable cause is defined as:
sufficient evidence to believe a crime has been committed
50
The pattern that is created when a bloody object in motion comes in contact with a non bloody surface is called a:
swipe
51
What are examples of evidence that could potentially yield a direct match?
- A knife blade broken in half
- A broken chain link
- A broken automobile glass headlamp
- A plastic button broken into two pieces
52
T/F Criminalistics is a forensic science discipline that involves the recognition, identification, individualization, and evaluation of physical evidence using methods of science.
True
53
T/F The normal variation within an individual's handwriting is expected to be much less than the variation between handwriting from two different individuals
True
54
T/F A forensic pathologist may specialize in "profiling" of perpetrators in serial murder or serial rape cases
False
55
T/F A physical match between two pieces of a fence board that was sawn apart is an example of an indirect physical match.
True
56
T/F A connection, relationship, or association between objects/persons/locations is termed a exclusion.
False
57
T/F If a suspected tool is available at the crime scene, it should be carefully inserted into the tool mark to check for an exact fit.
False
58
T/F Mikrosil is a photographic technique used to improve contrast of pattern evidence.
False
59
T/F A drip stain is an example of a high velocity blood pattern.
False
60
T/F The cone shaped pattern at the point of impact of a projectile with a glass window is expected to be wider on the side of glass where the impact occurred.
False
61
T/F Hair falling from a perpetrator to a crime scene surface by the force of gravity is an example of a deposit.
True
62
An experience forensic scientist will be able to fit together fractured pieces even if they were not originally part of the same item.
False
63
An example of medium velocity impact blood splatter is the pattern resulting from a gunshot wound.
false
64
The make and model of a vehicle can be determined using tire and skid marks.
False
65
The angle of impact of a blood drop is not a factor in the appearance of bloodstain/blood pattern
False
66
Wear patterns on the bottom of a shoe are considered to be class characteristics
false
67
If a crash reconstruction officer measures the length of skid marks at an accident scene, she can use the length to determine the speed of a vehicle that left those skid marks at the time the operator applied the brakes.
True
68
Criminal Profiling creates a hypothetical picture of an offender in an unsolved case.
False
69
Low velocity impact blood splatter patterns are created by gravity acting upon a blood splatter.
True
70
Gunshot residue consists of burned and unburned particles of gun powder and nothing else.
False
71
Clothing or objects scattered around a residential crime scene may provide indications of a struggle or simply reflect the typical living conditions of the owner.
True
72
Draw and explain the Linkage Triangle
Draw that shit.
The only way a scene, suspect, and victim are linked is through evidence.
73
Explain the Locard Principle of Exchange and provide a crime scene situation that illustrate his principle.
When two people come into contact with each other, there is a mutual exchange of material.
Exchange of semen/vaginal cells
74
Explain the significance of the Daubert decision on the admissibility of scientific and technical evidence: specifically, who was appointed the gatekeeper and what four criteria does that person use to determine the admissibility of scientific and technical evidence?
gatekeeper = the judge
- generally accepted (Frye)
- subject to rigorous testing
- subject to error rate analysis
- peer reviewed
75
Explain the steps involved in the Scientific method. How is the scientific method important in both forensic science and crime scene reconstruction?
- Observation
- Formulate hypothesis
- Test hypothesis
- Record and retest to see if the result is indeed accurate
Important: helps connect evidence to suspects and determines what really happens at crime scenes. Rules for natural science: scientific method
76
Define class and individual characteristics. Give one example of each as they pertain to footwear evidence. Give one example of each as they pertain to fingerprint evidence.
Class: a description of a specific group of objects
Footwear: marks made by a sneaker v a boot
Fingerprint: whorls, arches, loops
```
Individual: a difference that sets an object apart from its class
Footwear: wear on a shoe due to time
Fingerprint: an individual's specific print and structure.
```
77
Define "K" and "Q". Define Inclusion and Exclusion as they relate to K and Q
Q: questioned specimen; origin unknown
K: Known specimen; origin known
Inclusion: If K and Q samples come from the same origin
Exclusion: If K and Q samples do not come from the same origin
78
Define and differentiate between Indentation and Imprint. Give an example of each.
Both are used in identification purposes.
Indentation: 3D impression in a soft, receiving surface; shoe print in the snow
Imprint: 2D impression on a hard surface left in a medium; fingerprint in blood
79
You find a bloody shirt at a crime scene. What type of packaging should be used for the shirt? Explain why. What type of packaging should not be used? Explain why.
Packaging that should be used: paper, so the material can breathe and nothing will grow that could contaminate.
Packaging that should not be used: plastic, too restricting and could cause mold to grow, which could contaminate evidence.
80
Name three investigative databases. Explain what each acronym means and what type of evidence each contains.
AFIS: Automated Fingerprint Identification System; fingerprints
CODIS: Combined DNA Index System; DNA
NIBIN: National Integrated Ballistic Information Network; ballistics
81
List the three main fingerprint patterns used to classify fingerprints. List the three primary minutiae that can be combined to form other minutiae.
Patterns: whorls; arches; loops
Minutiae: ridge ending; branching off; short ridge
82
You are a crime scene technician. What are the three types of photographs that you need to take and what will each type demonstrate to a jury?
Overall: scene at arrival
Midrange: showing spatial relationship w/ evidence and surrounding evidence
Close up: individual evidence photos
83
You are a firearms examiner. A detective submits a yellow and red striped t shirt with a defect in the left side of the chest and apparent gunshot residue around the defect. Explain the steps you will take in estimating a muzzle to target distance for the detective.
- obtain a gun similar to what is thought to have been used
- obtain samples of the exact same yellow and red striped defect
- using the weapon, shoot the left side of the chest of the samples until a pattern emerges that matches the evidence.
- muzzle to target distance would be the one that matches
84
What does the acronym ASCLD/LAB stand for?
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/ Lab Accreditation Board
85
List three variables that can affect the appearance of a blood stain.
- surface texture
- velocity
- movement of a person at a scene
