Physical Evidence
What are the 3 types of primary classifications seen in fingerprints? Which is most common? What is one secondary classification?
Loops, Arches, and Whorls. Loops are most common in approximately 66% of the population. Bifurcation, ridge ending, dot, island, hook, bridge, ridge crossing, etc are all examples of minutiae identified in the secondary classification process
What is a Rogue Gallery and who has a great deal of discretion in connection to the use of a rogue gallery?
the filing system of mugshots which witnesses can look through when making an identification. The file administrator has great power in choosing which photos to include in the rogue gallery shown to a witness and ultimately determines (without knowing so) whether he/she is presenting a target present or target absent group.
If you only had to pick 1 thing, what is the main goal of an interrogation?
What is obtaining a confession from the suspect.
What are the steps in the PEACE model?
P = Planning and preparation
E = Engage and explain
A = Account, clarify, and challenge
C = Closure
E = Evaluation
Name and explain the 3 types of fingerprints that can be left behind at the crime scene.
1) Plastic, which are left in soft material and create a 3D print, 2) Patent, which are left after contact with some kind of colored material, and 3) Latent, which are left from natural sources which cannot be seen without processing.
Explain what the double blind testing procedure means in an eyewitness identification situation.
the lineup administrator does not know which member of the lineup the suspect is therefore cannot influence the witness's decision through conscious or unconscious bias/feedback. This is called a DOUBLE blind procedure because both the administrator and the witness do not know - if the witness did not but the administrator DID know, that would be a single blind procedure.
Explain the difference between an admission and a confession.
What is an admission is agrees to parts, but not all of the story whereas a confession is indicating that yes, you were responsible for this crime.
Name 1 of the 3 ways to measure distance in a crime scene sketch.
Triangulation, Polar Coordinates, or Base Line
What's the difference between a checkerboard search and a lane search?
a checkerboard is split into small squares by creating parallel rows and columns through the entire scene and focusing only on each small square before moving on to the next. A Lane search splits the scene into rows OR columns and focuses on finding evidence within that lane before moving on to the next (or having a difference person process each lane).
Explain the weapon focus effect.
the concept that having a weapon present during the commission of the crime makes the witness focus on the weapon instead of the perpetrator's facial details, making the possibility of an accurate identification less likely due to weakened memory/attention
Describe why the interrogation setting is so important.
What is the room itself helps to accomplish the goals of the interrogation to reinforce the authority structure and increase ease of communication from the suspect to the interrogators (likely increasing the likelihood of obtaining a confession).
What are the 3 phases that, when combined, make up your memory?
Encoding, Storage, Retrieval
Define whole substrate collection
taking the entire object back to the lab for further processing
Explain the difference between an identification parade, a photo array, and a show-up. Which is the best option to conduct, if possible?
a live lineup conducted in front of the witness with at least 6 members from which they will choose 1 person (this is best if possible), a photographic display of at least 6 members presented to the suspect from which they will choose 1 person, a single person (the suspect) presented in either live or photo form to the suspect to indicate yes or no to.
Explain the difference between the 3 types of false confessions.
What is Voluntary are those offered freely without any coercion. Coerced Compliant (or Compliant) are those offered in order to get out of the stressful situation or to get the better of 2 options at that time. Coerced Internalized (or Persuaded) are those where the suspect begins to truly believe they are the one who committed the crime, likely due to the interrogation tactics that were used.
Daily Double! Explain the difference between individual and class characteristics. Which one creates an identity vs. an identification?
class characteristics (like blood type) is group level information which allows an identity to be created, whereas individual characteristics (such as a DNA sample) allow you to classify down to a group of only 1 person thereby creating an identification
Blood with A antigens in the red blood cells and B antigens in the plasma and no presence of the Rh factor is known as what type of blood?
A-
Explain the difference between system and estimator variables, and give 2 examples of each
System are controllable factors (such as filler similarity, lineup instructions, simultaneous vs. sequential presentation, etc.) whereas Estimator variables are those that are not controllable by the CJ system (such as cross race effect, weapon focus effect, distance/lighting/length of time/view, level of stress/arousal, etc.)
Rationalization, Projection, Minimization is a set of techniques used to elicit information from suspects during interrogations
name 1 of the 3 polygraph techniques discussed in the textbook.
Relevant-Irrelevant Test, Guilty Knowledge Technique, or Control Question Technique