Section 1 Flashcards
prosecutor
top law enforcement in each county
sheriff
in charge of corrections
jail
investigation
to observe/study closely
to inquire into something systematically and search for true information
evidence
any item that helps establish the facts of a related criminal case
direct evidence
evidence that directly proves a key fact at issue
DNA, ballistics, fingerprint
witness testimony
worst type of direct evidence, yet is the most compelling
~70% wrong
circumstantial evidence
set of circumstances that allows a person to infer a crime
string of evidence
modus operandi (MO)
method of operation a criminal uses to commit a crime
locard’s principle of exchange
the offender of a crime will bring something into the crime and leave with something from it
5 goals for criminal investigations
- determine whether a crime has been committed
- legally obtain information and evidence to identify the responsible person
- arrest the suspect
- recover stolen property
- present the best possible case to the prosecutor
4 characteristics of an effective investigation
- knowledge
- creativity
- patience
- persistence
crime
an offense defined by the state, local, or federal law against the public that is punishable by a governmental body
misdemeanor
a lesser crime that is generally punishable by a jail sentence that is less than a year
felony
a serious criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for more than a year in a state or federal prison
exculpatory evidence
physical evidence that would clear one from blame
players in the crime scene
uniformed office
dispatcher
prosecutor
coroners/ME
forensic crime labs
citizens (call/rumors)
witness
victims
media
9 basic functions
- secure the scene
- provide emergency assistance
- photograph, videotape, measure
- notes for report
- search/obtain/process physical evidence
- obtain info from witnesses/suspects
- always identify suspect
- obtain search warrants and execute
- testify in court
photography
any device with a picture of a crime scene is now evidence
all photos/texts can be looked at whether deleted or not
advantages of photography
- record the scene permanently
- accurately represents the scene
- effect on a jury cannot be overestimated
- highly effective visual aids that may agree with the evidence
disadvantages of photography
- not selective
- doesnt show actual distance
- can come away distorted
why shouldnt you touch evidence until a picture is taken
can never replace the evidence exactly
authenticity of photos
taken ASAP
3 photos of evidence
- long shot
- medium shot
- close up
place evidence in relation to crime scene/person
errors collecting evidence
not enough of the sample
not obtaining a standard to compare
not maintaining integrity of evidence
to ensure admissibility of evidence in court
identify evidence as found at crime scene
describe exactly where it was found
establish custody from discovery to present
voluntarily explain any changes that occurred in evidence
who is able to return evidence
prosecutor
rectangular coordinate method
uses 2 adjacent walls as fixed points from which distances are measured
indoor
baseline method
establish a straight line from one fixed point to another, from which measure at right angles
indoor or outdoor
