Test 1: 1/8-1/29 Flashcards
Prosecutor
the ultimate law enforcement in every county, decides if the suspect gets charged, sign warrants, only one that can return evidence
purpose of sheriffs department
to run the correctional facility (jail)
investigation
to observe or study closely, to inquire into something systematically, to 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
worst form of evidence
however most compelling, is ewe witness testimony
circumstantial evidence
(indirect) a set of circumstances that allows a person to infer evidence of a crime
Modus operandi
(MO) the method of operation that a criminal uses to commit a crime
Locard’s Principle of exchange
a theory, the offender of a crime will bring something into the crime scene, and leave with something from it
5 goals for investigations
- Determine weather 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 investigator
- have to be knowledgeable of the laws and rules
- be creative
- be patient
- be persistant
crime
an offence defined by the state, local, or federal law against the public that is punishable by a governmental body
misdomener
Any crime punishable by a jail sentence less than a year (less serious, local)
felony
a serious criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for more than a year in state or federal prison
Exculpatory evidence
physical evidence that would clear one from blame
uniformed officer
first person on the scene of the crime
dispatch
person who answer the 911 call
coroner/medical examiner
techs that determine whether suspect needs an autopsy, performs autopsy
forensic crime lab
where evidence gets tested
citizens
regular everyday people who make the 911 call
witness
somebody that actually sw the inccodent
victim
someone effected by the crime
media
shares and informs citizens about crimes and updates
1st basic function for a crime
secure the crime scene and stop the threat
2nd basic function
provide emergency assistance and provide care to injured
3rd basic function
Photograph, videotape, measure scene
4th basic function
take notes for report
5th basic function
search for, obtain, and process physical evidence
6th basic function
obtain information from witness(‘) and suspects
7th basic function
always identify suspects
8th basic function
obtain search warrants and conduct the search
9th basic function
testify in court
Advantage of photography
basic purpose of crime scene photography is to record the scene permanently, accurately represents the crime scene and evidence, effect of pictures on a jury cannot be overestimated, highly effective visual aids that shows the facts
Disadvantages of photography
not selective, no distance, can come out distorted
3 ways to photograph
long shot, medium shot, close up shot
basic investigative equipment
Camera, chalk, containers, fingerprint kit, labels, magnifying glass, notebook, adhesive tap, distilled water, cotton swabs, measuring tape/ruler, paper bags
common errors of evidence collection
not collecting enough of the sample, not obtaining standards of comparison, not maintaining integrity of the evidence
to ensure admissibility of evidence in court
- identify evidence that was found at crime scene
- describe exactly where it was found
- establish its custody from discovery to the present
- voluntarily explain any changed that occurs in the evidence
sketches
- Rectangular coordinate method- used indoors, uses two adjacent walls as reference points
- baseline method- indoors or outdoors, establishes a straight line from one fixed point to another, take measurements on either side of the baseline, common for car accident scene
