Forensics Observation Skills
statement or information that can be verified
fact
the documented or unbroken transfer of evidence
chain of custody
the region of a hair located outside the medulla that contains granules or pigment
cortex
the passing of evidence, such as a fiber, from victim to suspect or vice versa
direct transfer
the first police officer to arrive at a crime scene
relating to the application of scientific knowledge to legal questions
forensic
(indirect evidence) evidence used to imply a fact but not support it directly
circumstantial evidence
the tough outer covering of a hair that is composed of overlapping scales
cuticle
a fiber produced naturally and harvested from animal, plant, or mineral sources
natural fiber
when false documents or other items are copied for the purpose of deception
What is counterfeiting?
personal belief founded on judgement rather than on direct experience or knowledge
opinion
material that connects an individual or thing to a certain group
class evidence
part of the hair above the follicle; mitochondrial DNA
hair shaft
the smallest indivisible unit of a textile, it must be at least 100 times longer
fiber
Ordering someone else's checks from a deposit slip, directly altering a check, creating forged checks
What is check forgery?
information received from the senses
perception
evidence that (if authentic) supports an alleged fact of a case
direct evidence
genetic material in the mitochondria of the cytoplasm of a cell; only inherited from the mother
mitochondrial DNA
fibers that have been spun together
yarn
By drawing straight lines down the long axis of the blood spatter and noting where the lines intersect, this will indicate what
What are the lines of convergence?
a person who has seen someone or something related to a crime and can communicate his or her observations
eyewitness
a kind of evidence that identifies a particular person or thing
individual evidence
genetic material in the nucleus of a cell
nuclear DNA
a fiber made from a manufactured substance such as plastic
synthetic fiber
Some people chew theirs; it's also a transparent outer layer of the hair shaft
What is the cuticle?