Crime Scene Documentation
This must be included in a crime-scene sketch along with measurements, a compass, and a key.
What are possible entry/exit points?
This is the very first responsibility of the first responder when arriving at a crime scene.
What is getting medical assistance if needed, then securing and protecting the scene?
In a criminal trial, this is ultimately responsible for deciding whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
What is the jury?
Evidence containing bodily fluids or hair would be sent to this unit of the crime lab.
What is the biology unit?
Known as the “father of forensic science,” he developed the principle that every contact leaves a trace.
Who is Edmond Locard?
Before collecting and packaging, this must be done to ensure proper documentation of evidence.
What is photographing the evidence?
This must always be worn at a crime scene to protect evidence and the investigator.
What is personal protective equipment (PPE)?
This U.S. amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
What is the 4th Amendment?
This is not considered physical evidence because it is subjective and depends on perception.
What is eye witness testimony or confessions?
Before DNA analysis, this system of body measurements was once used for personal identification.
What is anthropometry?
This official record tracks evidence from collection to courtroom.
This pattern divides a scene into sections, usually for indoor rooms.
What is the zone pattern?
A preponderance of the evidence is the burden of proof that needs to be reached in this type of trial.
What is a civil trial?
This type of sample is collected to compare to evidence, such as DNA from a suspect.
What is a known/reference sample?
This case established that scientific evidence must be admissible if it is generally accepted in the scientific community.
What is the Frye standard of evidence admissibility?
This documentation must be taken concurrently with searching the scene, and must be completed in pen.
What are crime scene notes?
Best search pattern for a large outdoor crime scene with one investigator.
What is the spiral pattern?
The penalty for this type of case can include jail time.
What is a criminal case?
This type of test is commonly completed in the drug chemistry lab or in arson cases. In these tests, you do not need a known or reference sample.
What is an identification test?
This case later set stricter standards for expert testimony and scientific evidence, focusing on reliability and relevance. Here, the judge is the gatekeeper.
What is the Daubert standard of evidence admissibility?
This is an example of packaging for evidence that is biological in nature.
What is paper/ cardboard? (Breathable)
A lead investigator should never do this with packaged evidence, as it can break the chain of custody.
What is open or tamper with sealed evidence samples?
This is the burden of proof required to reach a guilty verdict in a criminal trial.
What is "beyond a reasonable doubt"?
This characteristic is associated with a group of items and can not be attributed to one particular item, like the color of a fiber.
What is a class characteristic?
In the late 1800s Sir Francis Galton was the first to use this type of evidence as a method of personal identification.
What is fingerprinting?