Study Guide Unit 2 Flashcards
Ultimate goal of CS investigations
To recognize, document and collect evidence
The case number
yearcase# 120111401= dec, 01,2014
The evidence inventory number
case number- evidence#_201401-01, 201401-02
Warrantless search
Warrantless- Existence of emergency circumstances, need to present immediate loss or destruction of evidence search of person/property made incident to lawful arrest, search made by consent of involved parties, plain view doctrine, circumstances defined by Supreme Court
Amendment 4
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized
Coroner
an elected official who usually has no special medical training. In four states, the coroner is a medical doctor.
What does a coroner do?
Certifies cause of death
Medical examiner
A medical doctor (usually a pathologist) appointed by the governing body of the area
Medical examiner system first step
Identify the deceased
Medical examiner system second step
Establish the time and date
Medical examiner system third step
Determine a medical cause of death (the injury or disease that resulted in the person dying)
Medical examiner system fourth step
Determine the mechanism of death (the physiological reason the person died)
Medical examiner system fifth step
Classify the manner of death (natural, accidental, suicide, homicide undetermined)
Medical examiner system sixth step
Notify the next of kin
Circumstantial evidence
Indirect physical or biological evidence that can link a person to a crime, but don’t directly prove guilt
Direct evidence
Firsthand observations. Ex, eyewitness accounts, video, etc.
Trace evidence
When objects make contact and material is transferred
What is the first 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Securing the Scene
What is the second 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Speak and question the witnesses
What is the third 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Scanning the scene
What is the fourth 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Seeing the Scene
What is the fifth 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Sketching the Scene
What is the sixth 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Searching for Evidence
What is the seventh 7 “S” of crime scene investigation?
Securing and Collecting Evidence
Line/Strip
best in large, outdoor scenes
Grid
Basically a double-line search: effective but time-consuming
Zone
most effective in houses or buildings: teams are assigned small zones for searching
Spiral
May move inward or outward: best used when there are no physical barriers
Final sketch items requirements
Looks prettier: to scale, use a ruler, pencil only, all major furniture/items included, scale of room, lengths of items, including wall lengths, legend/key: names of furniture, evidence, symbols denoting evidence level: floor horizontal, Key: type of crime, location, sketch artists names, case number, compass indicating north, coordinates
Step 1 of sketching a crime scene
Observe and Plan
Step 2 of sketching a crime scene
Measure distance
Step 3 of sketching a crime scene
Outline the area
Step 4 of sketching a crime scene
Locate and plot objects and evidence within the outline
Step 5 of sketching a crime scene
Record details
Step 6 of sketching a crime scene
Make notes
Step 7 of sketching a crime scene
Identify the sketch with a legend and a scale
Rules of photography #1
DO NOT disturb the scene
Rules of photography #2
complete set of pictures
Rules of photography #3
record all data
Types of photo lighting
Natural light: back, side and front lighting
The ranges of photographs
Overview, midrange, close up
How angles affect photos
relationships of size and distance may be distorted by the wrong viewpoint
Qualities of good crime scene photos
Sharp, focused, properly exposed, framed properly, have proper lighting
Testimonial evidence
statement made under oath
Physical evidence
any object or material that is relevant in a crime
Individual evidence
can be identified with a particular person or a single source
Class evidence
common to a group of objects or persons, relies on statistics
Known sample
a sample that’s origin is known, goes by (K)
Questioned sample
a sample that’s origin is unknown, goes by (Q)
Transient evidence
Temporary, easily changed or lost
Conditional evidence
produced by a specific event or action, indirect evidence
Associative evidence
something that may associate a victim or suspect with a scene or with each other
Pattern evidence
produced by direct contact between a person and an object or between two objects
Transfer evidence
produced by contact between person(s) and objects or between person(s) and person(s), transferred materials
Storage of liquids and arson
remains stored in airtight, unbreakable containers
Storage of biological evidence
placed in a breathable containers to dry- after drying biological transferred to a paper bindle, sealed in a bag
Chain of custody
Legal considerations, search and removal of evidence must be done according to 4th amendment
Comparison analysis
subjects a suspect specimen and a control specimen to the same tests and examinations for the ultimate purpose of determining whether or not they have a common origin
Chemical analysis
useful to interpret the effects and quantify the concentration of the chemicals present, assessing the quantity of different elements in the substance
Visual analysis
the practice of pulling together various facts and circumstances about a crime or a potential criminal situation in order to develop a picture of who the perpetrator or suspect might be
Microscopic analysis
the identification of trace evidence such as fragments, fibers, hairs, fingerprints which are left the crime scene, on a victim or suspect
What factors affect the reliability of an eye witness?
Nature of the offense and the situation in which the crime is observed, characteristics of the witness, manner in which the information is retrieved, witness’ prior relationship with the accused, length of time between the offense and the identification or failure to identify the defendant, any prior identification of a person other than the defendant by the eyewitness
What is the first step in forensic investigation?
Recognition of evidence
What is the second step in forensic investigation?
Preservation of evidence
What is the third step in forensic investigation?
Identification of evidence
What is the fourth step in forensic investigation?
Comparison of evidence
What is the fifth step in forensic investigation?
Individualization of evidence
What is the sixth step in forensic investigation?
Interpretation of evidence
What is the seventh step in forensic investigation?
Reconstruction of the crime
