Unit 3-Physical Evidence Flashcards
Physical Evidence
Tangible objects, including weapons, and trace evidence. Real direct evidence to the crime.
Documentary Evidence
Any type of written or recorded evidence.
Demonstrative Evidence
Evidence that is used to help recreate a crime (for a trial)
Testimony
Evidence given by witness during a trial.
Identification
The process of determining the chemical/physical characteristics of a piece of evidence with as much certainty as possible.
Comparison
The process of testing a suspect sample with a known sample to prove whether or not they share a common origin.
Probability
The frequency of an event. How likely it is that 2 sources would share the same characteristics.
To test probability, what are the 3 things the test must be?
Reliable, Sensitive, and Specific.
Individual characteristics
Properties associated with a common source to a high degree of certainty.
Ridge Characteristic/ Minutiae
The ridge endings, enclosures, and other details that make up a fingerprint.
Class Characteristics
Can only be associated with a group and not a single source.
Physical properties
Described a substance/object without referring to another substance (weight,volume,size,colour)
Chemical properties
Describes what happens when a substance reacts with another substance.
What is used to help characterize a piece of glass at a crime scene?
Density and refractive index. Will vary in a single sheet of glass.
Radial fracture
Fractures that extend out words like spokes on a wheel.
