Introduction
True or false: crime scene processing is an inherent task and duty associated with most criminal investigations, rarely does one encounter a crime without some kind of crime scene.
True
p.1
What are the two basic goals that police have in a free society?
Number one: the prevention of crime and disorder, and the preservation of peace
Number two: the protection of life, property, and personal liberty
p.2
What is evidence?
In which ways (2) does evidence present itself in an investigation?
Evidence can be defined as anything that tends to prove or disprove a fact in contention.
Evidence presents itself as either testimonial or physical evidence
p. 5
True or false: The value of an item of evidence is based solely on its mere presence in the crime scene.
False
p.6
What is the function of the forensic evidence linkage triangle?
The function is to remind the CSI that each item discovered must be considered as a mechanism for linking the scene, the victim, or the suspect in some form or fashion.
p.9
When does or can scene degradation occur?
Scene degradation occurs from the moment the crime begins and continues until the last officer turns off the lights and leaves the scene.
p.10
What are two important things to remember about crime scene equipment?
1. Crime scene equipment must be maintained.
2. The CSI must understand the proper use of the equipment.
p.11
The CSI has no ______ ______ in what he or she finds in the scene. If the goal is ____, then how that ____ plays out is of little consequence to the CSI.
Personal stake
truth
p.14
What is the main takeaway from the case study called facts versus agenda?
Evidence doesn’t lie, but people will
p.5
What are the five ways they say context can manifest itself?
Predictable effects, unpredictable effects, transitory effects, relational detail, functional detail
p.7
What does the word in situ mean?
As found
p.1
What are the five basic objectives that police apply to achieve there are two basic goals
Crime prevention, crime, repression, regulating non-criminal conduct, provision of services, protection of personal liberty.
p.2
What is testimonial and physical evidence?
Testimonial evidence is collected through the interview and interrogation of witnesses, victims and suspects or subjects.
- testimonial evidence helps in understanding motives or in explaining those things found at the scene
Testimonial evidence has a major flaw in terms of its consideration human beings offer it, and humans are subjective creatures.
- victims witnesses and subjects all bring agendas and perceptions to the table
p.5
What are crime scenes often likened to?
A jigsaw puzzle
p.6
What are two distinct concepts that one would need to consider after relational issues?
Timing and sequencing
p.9
What are the five basic ingredients to processing a crime scene?
Knowledge, skills and tools, a methodical approach, flexibility, a coordinated effort
p.10
True or false: As a CSI, it is acceptable to break from routine in order to achieve the desired end result.
True
p.12
In order to stay open and objective as a CSI what must you be willing to consider?
True or false: CSI must report their findings objectively and truthfully, to whomever needs to know no matter how those facts impact on their personal beliefs.
New evidence
true
p.14
What was the main takeaway from the case example called scene context and inner relationships where the husband had a pattern of blood on his shirt?
Officers were able to piece together a bigger picture based on an item of evidence found on the husband. The husband being bloody was not an issue until it was examined, considering the scene context.
p.7
Which manifestation is considered changes to the scene or evidence that occurs with some rhythm or regularity.
It provides an inference as to the actual time of the crime.
An example of this can be found in forensic entomology, which can denote the approximate period in which death occurred by observing the stage of insect activity.
Predictable effects
p.8
What is the end goal of crime scene processing?
The goal of crime scene processing is the collection of the evidence and scene context in as pristine a condition as possible.
p.1
What is crime prevention?
What is crime repression?
What is regulating non-criminal conduct?
What is provision of services?
What is protection of personal liberty?
Crime prevention: this includes the actions and efforts designed to keep crime from occurring in the first place
Crime repression: this is when prevention fails, the police seek to repress the criminal by actively investigating crime and attempting to identify those responsible
Regulating non-criminal conduct: the police act to control general behavioral patterns
Provision of services: the scope of the services provide provided by police is very broad
Protection of personal liberty: the police must actively control their own behavior to ensure that their methods and practices abide by the constitution and the law
p.2
True or false: testimonial evidence is subjective in nature.
True
p.5
Who were the two people who commented on the interpretive value of evidence noting that “the full meaning of evidence is a function of time in the item surroundings”?
Chisum and Rynearson
p.6
What is timing and sequencing?
Timing aspects allow us to place the time of the crime in some form or fashion whereas sequencing aspects helped the CSI decide in what order the crime occurred.
p.9
What is one of the most critical ingredients a CSI can have on scene?
Knowledge
p.10
What are the three specific scene integrity issues that every crime scene technicians method has to consider? What do all three mean?
1. The addition of material to the scene.
- this results in what are referred to as post incident artifacts
2. The destruction of material in the scene.
- this results in the loss of an item’s evidentiary value
3. The movement of material in the scene.
- this is the result of investigative processing techniques, however, if gone unchecked and unrecognized, it could cloud the understanding of the crime scene.
p.12
True or false: an investigator should consider all alternative theories before entering the court or testifying at trial.
True
p.15
Case study: tools alone are not enough
what was the main takeaway from this case study where they attempted to make a trajectory analysis?
In the wrong hands, even good tools and equipment can make for bad practice
p.11
Which manifestation is regarded as changes that occur in an unexpected or random fashion.
These can alter the original scene and the evidence. If unrecognized they can even cause significant misinterpretation of the scene.
A good example of this is upon entry of police, a light is turned on.
Unpredictable effects
p.8
What are the six basic steps that a crime scene technician engages in to accomplish a crime scene processing?
Assessing, observing, documenting, searching, collecting, and analyzing.
p.1
What is something that can warp an investigator’s sense of duty? What is the true duty of a investigator?
Over personalization of the event
The true duty is to remain professional and objective
p.2
What are the virtues of physical evidence?
- physical evidence takes the form of specific items found at the scene that are often collected for subsequent and analysis and presentation
- sometimes physical evidence is context
- Physical evidence never lies
- Physical evidence’s meaning can be misinterpreted
- Physical evidence establishes a framework of facts that are in refutable by anyone
p.6
What is said to be meaningless unless we put it to work and look beyond the tree to see the forest.
Possession of data.
p.7
What are time snapshots?
Time snapshots are specific moments when specific actions occurred.
p.10
Where does the weakest link in forensic science lie?
The weakest link in forensic science lies with the crime scene.
p.10
Every ______ leaves a trace
Contact
p.13
Another critical aspect of investigative ethics is the need to treat all ____ the same.
Facts
p.15
Case study: flexibility, and the “wrecking crew”
What was the main lesson from this case study about the body trapped in a block of ice?
Although the method was not traditional, it got the job done
p.12
This manifest itself at the crime scene in several ways, often being fleeting.
These failed to stand out to the CSI.
An example of this includes the heat of a burning or burned cigar, the presence of ice in a glass, or odors of chemicals or colognes that are present when the first officer arrives.
Transitory effects
p.8
True or false: there is a single “right way“ for crime scene technicians to conduct themselves at a scene.
False
p.1
What is the process by which “each receives his due?”
what are the three considerations needed in order for this processto be fair?
Justice
The victim, society, and the accused
p.3
What can physical evidence do in regards to testimonial evidence?
Physical evidence can corroborate or refute the information presented within testimonial evidence
p.6
What is a technological example of a transitory effect?
A technological example of a transitory effect is the heat signature of a tire on a roadway
p.8
Why is sequencing information so important to a CSI?
Sequencing information allows the CSI to understand the order in which specific events occurred. One of the most critical elements of crime scene analysis is the process of logically ordering these snapshots to understand how the events proceeded.
p.10
What skill and tool must CSI‘s also have besides knowledge?
A CSI must also have the skill and tool of recovering evidence.
p.10
True or false: it is uncommon in the photographic documentation of a crime scene to observe a single item in various locations.
False
p.13
What is something a CSI should never let any lawyer do and why?
The CSI should never let any lawyer, defense or prosecution, tell them what they know. This is because the CSI factually and objectively reports the information that they have obtained.
p.15
Case study: the compassionate officer
what was the significance of the cloth being placed over the victims genitalia?
The scene had been modified prior to the investigators arriving due to the officers compassion for the victim.
p.13-14
These manifest themselves through the CSI‘s ability to physically place items in the scene.
Some examples of this would include the presence of a void pattern on a wall surrounded by spatter, a clustering of cartridge cases on grass, the presence of a weapon in close proximity to the victim, or the recognition that a gunshot wound is distant versus close.
This shows where the item was believed to be at a given location at the time of the event.
Relational details
p.8
What must a CSI do when being cross examined in order to alleviate the council from misrepresenting contextual references made?
A CSI must be able to articulate the reasons why a certain action was taken over some other course of action
p.1
What is the purpose of the criminal investigation?
what do the police seek to objectively define?
The purpose of the criminal investigation is to search for the truth.
The police seek to objectively define what happened and who was involved
p.3
What does a complete consideration of physical evidence demand the CSI do?
It demands the CSI to be critically observant.
p.6
What four things should a CSI ask themselves about a piece of evidence?
1. What is it?
2. What function did it serve?
3. What relationship does it have to any other items of evidence or to the scene itself?
4. What does it tell us about timing and sequencing aspects?
p.8-9
What are two crucial elements that each crime scene technician needs to understand?
Crime scene technicians must know what they are looking for, and they must understand what each piece of the puzzle tells them.
p.10
What must a CSI maintain a level of when on scene?
A level of competency for all of their equipment
p.10
What is the golden rule for a CSI as it relates to movement of material?
Know who did what
p.13
____ integrity and objectivity failures will ultimately lead to ____ integrity and objectivity failures.
Small
larger
p.15
What is the main takeaway from all the case studies combined?
People are flawed, but evidence never lies
This manifest itself in the operating condition of items in the scene.
An example of this is making sure the deadbolt operated normally or the weapon was capable of operating in a normal fashion.
Functional details
p.8