TEST 1 Flashcards
Article 1
Gives legislative powers to Congress of the US consisting of Senate and House of Rep
Article 2
Gives executive powers to president of US
Article 3
Gives judicial powers to supreme court of US
Amendment I
Freedom of Speech Freedom of religion Freedom of press Right to assemble Right to petition the gov
Amendment II
Right of people to keep and bear arms
Amendment III
No soldier shall, in times of peace, be quartered in a house without the owners consent
Amendment IV
Protection of persons, papers, houses and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government
No warrant shall be issued but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and describing with particularity the places to be searched and persons or things to be seized
Amendment V
Right to DP
Right against double jeopardy
Right against self incrimination
No one shall be held to capital or infamous crimes without presentment or indictment of grand jury
Gov may not seize private property for public use without just compensation
Amendment VI
Right to counsel Right to speedy and public trial by jury Right to confront witnesses Right to have witnesses in your favor Right to be informed of charges against you
Amendment VII
Right to trial by jury in civil case where the value of the controversy exceeds $20
Amendment VIII
Right against excessive bail
Right against excessive fines
Right against cruel and unusual punishment
Amendment IX
Rights of the people are not limited to those specifically mentioned int he constitution
Amendment X
Any right of the people not mentioned in the constitution becomes a matter for the states to decide
Dr. Edmond Locard
When a person comes into contact with an object or another person, a cross transfer of physical evidence can occur
Intensity, duration, and nature of the contact determines the extent of the transfer
Types of Evid
Direct and circumstantial
Direct Evid
Includes first hand accounts such as eyewitness accounts and video of the crime
Evidence that supports the alleged fact
Circumstantial evid
Indirect evid that can be used to imply a fact but does not actually prove it
2 types of circumstantial evid
Class Evid- narrows the identity to a group of people
Individual Evid- narrows the identity to a specific person
Examples of trace evid
Animal or human hair Fiber Chemicals Bodily fluids Soil or plant material Fingerprints Footprints
7 S’s of CSI
- SECURING the crime scene
- SEPARATING the witnesses
- SCANNING the crime scene
- SEEING the crime scene
- SKETCHING the crime scene
- SEARCHING the crime scene for evid
- SECURING and collecting evid
Securing the crime scene
Duty of 1st responder
Protects and preserves the crime scene; prevents unwanted intrusion
Prevents movement of evid
Separating the witnesses
Prevents collusion
Prevents possible contamination of direct evid
Scanning the crime scene
Evaluate where pictures should be taken
Determine general borders of primary crime scenes
Evaluate for possible secondary crime scene
Seeing the crime scene
Pictures from all angles
Should include triangulation- mathematical method calculating the location of an object from the location of other objects
Sketching the crime scene
Should be to scale
Note positions of remains
Note other evid found at scene
Searching the crime scene for evid
search method should vary depending on the size of the crime scene
Evid is photographed and labeled
Technologies used: radar; sonar; thermal imaging; black lights; flashlights
Securing and collecting evid
Evid needs to be: packaged Sealed Catalogued Chain of custody
Establishing datum points
Datum point must be a fixed object (used to map a crime scene)
Subdatum points are firmly placed
Access inside the datum points is heavily restricted
Failure to properly process a crime scene
Can lead to complete failure and a murderer going free
History of hair analysis
Technique used since 19th cent Le poil de l'Homme et de Animaux- the hair of Men and Animals- 1910 study of microscope images of human and animal hair first known reference guide 1934- 1st comparison microscope use Chemical comparison DNA evid
What was the problem with hair analysis?
Microscope hair analysis could not specifically distinguish one individual to the exclusion of all others
Statistical weight could not be given to comparisons to suggest a likelihood that the hair derived from a specific source
Expert witnesses should not cite the number of hair analyses they had conducted in the labs to bolster the idea that thye could definitively state that a hair belonged to a specific individual
Objectives of hair analysis
Identify parts of hair
Describe variations in structure of medulla, cortex, and cuticle
Distinguish between human and nonhuman hair
Determine if 2 hairs are likely from the same person
Calculate the medullary index for hair
Distinguish hairs from individuals
Hair shaft
Composed of Keratin which is produced in the skin; part of the hair above the follicle containing mitochondrial DNA
Medulla
Central core of the hair
Cortex
Region of hair located outside medulla that contains granules of pigment
Cuticles
Tough outer covering of a hair that is composed of overlapping scales
Hair follicle
actively growing base of hair containing DNA and living cells
Mitochondrial DNA
genetic material in the mitochondria of cytoplasm of a cell: only inherited from the mother
Cortex variations
In humans, the cortex is largest part of the hair shaft
Contains most melanin granules (bits of pigment found in the cortex of the hair)
Pigment varies from person to person
Some people have large granules giving their hair a distinct look under the microscope
Types of Medulla
Hollow Absent Fragmented Segmental (interrupted) Solid None
Medullary Index
the ratio of the medulla to the diameter of the entire hair
Chemical testing
Shows info on: Water Food Toxins Drugs Human hair grows at approx 1.3 cm/month Toxins found at 9 cm contains materials ingested 7 months ago
In what ways can we differentiate hair?
Pigment Chemicals Medullary Index Medulla type Ethnicity
What type of evidence is hair?
CLASS EVID
Fibers are composed of
polymers- long repeating molecules
What type of evid are fibers?
CLASS EVID
Direct transfer- transferred by victim to/from suspect
Secondary Transfer- transferred from original source to the victim and then to the suspect (or suspect to victim)
Where can you look to find fibers?
Clothing Cars Rugs Blankets Screens Windows Wounds
How do you collect fiber evid?
Tape Forceps Vacuum Lint Roller Fiber is photographed and removed and individually bagged or boxed- so is the source Nothing gets packaged together Notes where each fiber came from
Evaluating fiber evid
Evaluate for type- what is composition (rare? at crime scene?)
Evaluate for color- match at crime scene? type of dye?
Determine number of fibers found- greater # could indicate greater level of violence
Determine where fiber was found
Textiles from which it originated- multiple transfers? (could suggest violence or prolonged contact)
Note time between crime and collection of fiber
Natural fibers
Animal fibers used in clothing, carpets, drapes, bedding
Hair- shed pet hair, hair used in textiles (cashmere, angora)
Fur- used almost exclusively in gloves and coats
Webbing- silk
Plant fibers
Come from seeds, fruits, stems, and leaves
Typically short (2-5 cm)
All share same polymer- cellulose which is easily distinguished from proteins
Seed fibers
cotton
Fruit fibers
coir
Stem fibers
Hemp
Leaf fibers
Manila
Mineral Fibers
fiberglass, Asbestos
Synthetic Fibers
Made from monomers
Regenerated Fibers
Derived from cellulose
Rayon
Celarese- cellulose combined with acetate
Synthetic Polymer Fibers
Originate from petroleum based products
What to look for with synthetic fibers
Unique dyes
Unique monomers
Unique chemical signatures
Forensic Botany
scientific study of plants or application of plant sciences to criminal investigations.
Assemblage
Group of plants in an area dominated by one species that share the same habitat requirements
Palynology
study of pollen and spores
Viewed under microscope the hard outer later of pollen grain or spore has a unique and complex structure
Pollen fingerprint
and type of pollen in particular area
Post-Mortem Interval (PMI)
Time elapsed between persons death and discovery of the body
Natalie Mirabel
Husband’s vehicle undercarriage had pollen from plants that only grow at high elevations- where Natalie’s body was found
Samantha Forbes
Single blade of Almond Bermuda grass found on suspect’s socks (Not native to where she was) tied back to golf course where the body was found
Tibia on an oak seedling
Missing person- then found part of a body (missing a tibia)- search found a tibia on an oak seedling- found a timeline due to decomposition of the leaf that matched with the missing person’s disappearance
Pond Attacks
2 boys tied up and beaten and thrown into pond- 1 escaped and rescued other- cops took their clothes for evidence- found algae on shoe of suspect that matched algae on clothes of boys
Settling
body buried for a while, turned up soil (to make the gravesite) eventually sinks in more than the surrounding undisturbed dirt
Finding Gravesites
Look for settling
New assemblage
Unique plants (soil is different with fertilizer and whatever was on the body)
What to note with forensic botany
Description of biological materials at crime scene
Habitat Assessment
Dominant plants in and around crime scene
Grass variations
Plants that seem unusual for the area
Plants covering aspects of the crime scene (body, vehicle, objects)
Plants under aspects of the crime scene
Pollenation Methods
Wind
Even better: animals and insects
Collection of pollens
Extreme care
Sealed
Pressed
