unit 1: observation skills, crime-scene investigation, and evidence collecting

Question 1

what’s an observation

Answer 1

what a person perceives using their 5 senses

Question 2

what is brain filtering?

Answer 2

an unconscious process that helps the brain deal with all the stimuli and information that bombards it.( think of the elephant example)

Question 3

eyewitness account facts:

Answer 3

• can often be faulty
• can be influenced by emotion state, type and amount of activity around them, number of people
• impacted by prejudice, personal belief, or motives
• their opinions shouldn’t be considered a fact

Question 4

the innocence project

Answer 4

-started in 1992
- reexamines cases using DNA evidence to prove innocence/guilty
- study proves that 87% of eyewitness accounts are faulty

Question 5

forensic definition

Answer 5

comes from the latin word “forensis” which means of the forum; an open area when Romans gathered to debate issues

Question 6

science definition

Answer 6

the use of evidence to construct testable explanations using tools

Question 7

forensic scientist definition

Answer 7

finds, documents, examines, and evaluates evidence using many tools

Question 8

Locard’s principle of exchange

Answer 8

when a person comes in contact with an object or another person, a cross transfer of physical material can occur

Question 9

direct evidence

Answer 9

• evidence that supports an alleged fact of a case
• confessions, videos, photos

Question 10

circumstantial evidence

Answer 10

• indirect evidence that can be used to imply a fact but not support it directly
• physical: glass, fibers, etc.
• biological: blood, saliva, etc.
• trace: hair, broken fingernails, etc.

Question 11

class evidence

Answer 11

• narrows to identify a group of persons or things
• blood type, hair color, etc.

Question 12

individual evidence

Answer 12

• narrows to the single person or thing
• fingerprint, DNA, etc.

Question 13

Crime-Scene investigation team

Answer 13

1st responders, medical examiner, investigators, detectives, and forensic scientists

Question 14

the 7 S’s of CSI

Answer 14

1. secure the scene
2. separate the witnesses
3. scan the scene
4. see the scene
5. sketch the scene
6. search for evidence
7. secure and collect the evidence

Question 15

secure the scene:

Answer 15

• job of the first responders
• ensure the safety of all in the area
• preserve evidence
• maintain security log of the area

Question 16

separate the witnesses:

Answer 16

• prevent collusion of stories
• allows investigators to compare the witnesses’ accounts of the event

Question 17

scan and see the scene:

Answer 17

• scan to determine where photos should be taken
• identify primary and secondary location
• take photographs of the crime scene

Question 18

sketch the scene:

Answer 18

• measurements are taken at the crime scene and a rough sketch is created
• accurate sketch made later
• includes all objects
• indicate North
• measurements of all objects from two fixed points
• drawn to scale

Question 19

what are the 4 search patterns for evidence?

Answer 19

Grid, Linear, Quadrant/Zone, and Spiral

Question 20

secure liquid/arson remains

Answer 20

in airtight containers

Question 21

secure biological evidence- moist

Answer 21

breathable containers

Question 22

secure biological evidence- dried

Answer 22

packaged in paper or plastic container

Question 23

secure small evidence

Answer 23

paper bindle then larger container

Question 24

secure all evidence

Answer 24

outer container is sealed with tape and labeled with the signature of the collector written across the tape

Question 25

trace evidence

Answer 25

transferred materials

Question 26

primary crime scene

Answer 26

Location where the crime took place

Question 27

secondary crime scene

Answer 27

Location, other than the primary crime scene that is in someway related to the crime, where evidence is found

Question 28

paper bindle

Answer 28

Fold a paper used to hold trace evidence

Question 29

chain of custody

Answer 29

The documented and unbroken transfer evidence

Question 30

analytical skills

Answer 30

Ability to identify a concert problem, to isolate it’s component parts, to organize information for decision, making, establish criteria for evaluation and to draw appropriate conclusions

Question 31

four skills a forensic scientist must have:

Answer 31

• observation
• applying scientific knowledge
• report observations clearly
• analyze a crime scene

Question 32

What is Paul Eckman known for studying?

Answer 32

microexpressions

Question 33

what is the importance of using datum points(A and B)?

Answer 33

to scale the evidences properly

Question 34

what information should be included on an evidence log?

Answer 34

1. evidence number
2. content of evidence
3. date and time
4. victim’s name
5. collector’s name
6. case number
7. name of suspect
8. evidence description

Question 35

what kind of evidence should be packaged in a bindle

Answer 35

small, dry, trace evidence