Study Guide Terms Flashcards
Edged Weapons Wound Types (4)
1) incision: clean/straight
2) laceration: messy tearing
3) abrasion: friction wound/scrape
4) puncture: deep/stabbing
Requirements for Search Warrant (3)
1) statement of probable cause
2) affidavit
3) purpose
Corpus Delecti
body of crime (proof a crime was committed)
Actus Reus
physical act (committing the crime)
Mens Rea
mental state of defendant at time of crime
Plain View Doctrine
4th amendment exception allows officer to seize evidence that is in plain view (during lawful encounter)
Trier of Fact
person/group who determines factual issues in court (ex. jury)
Bow Street Runners
volunteer vigilantes recovered stolen property
-founded by Henry Fielding and later adjusted by John Fielding
Curtilage
area of land surrounding home still protected by 4th amendment
Voluntary Consent
willing cooperation of citizen
-officer must make it clear they are not being held
Anthropometry
Alphonse Bertillion
(def) use of measurements of human body for criminal identification
Sir Francis Galton
introduced concept of fingerprinting
Allen Pinkerton
founded first private detective agency
Calvin Goddard
bureau of forensic ballistics and used ballistics to solve crime
Edmund Locard
established first crime lab
August Vollmer
created record system of criminals to organize investigations
Solvability Factors (def)
information gathered to lead to offender
Triangulation vs Baseline
(def) techniques for measuring crime scenes
Triangulation: measures from various set angles
Baseline: measures off one straight line
Rigor Mortis, Algor Mortis, and Lividity (def)
Rigor: muscles stiffening post mortem
Algor: fluctuating body temp post mortem
Lividity: skin discoloration post mortem
Putrefaction
process of organic matter decaying
What is the standard of proof in a criminal case?
defendant must be found guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt”
features of contact wounds from firearms (2)
1) abrasion ring
2) stippling/tattooing
4th Amendment + Exceptions
(def) protects against warrantless searches and seizures
Exceptions: vehicles, public school, govt buildings,
inevitable discovery, exigent circumstances
features of defensive wounds
(def) injury clearly caused by self defense
-usually shallow cuts on hands/arms
CIA of investigations? (not the agency)
C - committed (establish if a crime has occurred)
I - identify suspects
A - associate suspects to scene
Criminalistics/Forensics
use of science as an investigative tool (Hans Gross)
Types of Evidence/Def (8)
1) Tangible: undetected by naked eye
2) Physical: seen/holdable
3) Testimonial: witness account
4) Documentary: written, filmed, etc.
5) Transient: able to be disappear (ex. blood in rain)
6) Trace: small fibers (ex. hair)
7) Impression: marks left behind (ex. shoe prints)
8) Biological: DNA evidence (ex. blood/body fluid)
Types of Asphyxiation (3)
(def) lack of oxygen to brain
1) strangulation
2) choking
3) drowning
nDNA vs mtDNA
nDNA: removal of DNA strands from cells
mtDNA: removal of DNA w/out skin cells (ex. hair fiber)
Frye Test
all science that is generally accepted holds in court
Daubert Test
forensic science must be testable/replicable to be accepted in court
Toxicology
study of chemical affects on the body (M. Orfila)
Tool Marks
striation marks typically found on locked items (ex. doors, safes)
Types of Wounds (5)
1) Contusion (bruise)
2) Abrasion (scrape)
3) Avulsion (tear)
4) Incision (clean cut)
5) Artifacts (large tear)
Standing (legal def)
defendant has standing in court if their rights were violated during arrest or search/seizure
Class vs Individual Characteristics
Class: commonality of different pieces of evidence
Individual: evidence specific to a person, place, or thing
Investigative Lead vs Criminal Intelligence
Investigative Lead: info used for achieving goals/solving cases
Criminal Intelligence: info gathered for knowledge of crime related activity
Maryland v. Buie
after arrest the house was searched “for other people” and evidence in plain view was seized (used in trial) (exigent circumstance = cop could have been in danger if there was someone else in home)
California v. Greenwood
trash left out for pickup has no expectation of privacy
Carroll v. US
vehicle searches require probable cause (no warrant)
WV v. Flippo
crime scenes are not their own exceptions to search warrant (can use other exceptions to enter)
Illinois v. Gates
determined anonymous tips did not count as probable cause for obtaining a search warrant
US v. Leon
exclusionary rule does not apply to evidence obtained by officers acting in good faith
NY v. Quarles
Miranda rights must be stated before suspects answers are admitted to evidence
NY v. Belton
during lawful arrest you may search suspects car w/out warrant
What is learned from glass evidence? (3)
- point of origin of bullet
- cause of breakage (ex. bullet)
- order of impact
Classifications of Murders (4)
1) Individual
2) mass
3) serial
4) spree
Locard’s Principle
every contact leaves trace evidence
Suicides: how and where are the majority of wounds
made with revolvers to head
What is the chain of custody/why is it important
documentation of where evidence has gone, ensures validity/authenticity of evidence
AFIS
automated fingerprint ID system, used to ID criminals
CODIS
combines DNA index system, stores/compares DNA of convicted
how is the 4th amendment enforced/upheld
evidence obtained through violation is inadmissible in court
what is the legal standard of proof to obtain a search warrant
probable cause
Questioned Evidence vs Questioned Documents
Evidence: source/authenticity is unreliable
Documents: false/forged (used in financial crimes)
Elimination Sample
samples of normal conditions (ex. victims fingerprints)
Visible vs Plastic Prints
Visible: seen w/ naked eye
Plastic: 3D impression
Ballistics Evidence (def)
characteristics of a fired weapon (powder on surrounding area, inside/outside of weapon, etc.)
Minutiae (in fingerprints)
location of the discontinuation of ridges
Control Sample
taken at scene to test against possible evidence for alteration, contamination, or comparison (ex. dirt)
What is the purpose of the staging area in crime scenes?
-
What is the legal standard to make a stop?
Reasonable suspicion (ex. erratic driving = drunk driver?)
Rules of a Lineup (3)
1) provide witness instructions
2) conduct lineup w/ ONE suspect per group
3) be aware of legal issues (ex. volunteers in lineup are not protected by 5/6 amendments)
Requirements for Proving
1) First Degree Murder
2) Second Degree Murder
3) Manslaughter
1) intent and planning
2) intent but no planning (ex. killing abuser in self defense)
3) avoidable accident (ex. killing someone when driving drunk)
What is learned from skeletal remains? (5)
1) age
2) ethnicity
3) gender
4) identity
5) cause of death
When must miranda warnings be given?
immediately before interrogation
Investigative Stages (4)
1) crime detection
2) preliminary investigation
3) follow up investigation
4) case preparation/prosecution
