Miscellaneous
This is always an officer's first priority upon arriving at a scene, even before evidence preservation.
What is life safety (medical aid)?
This Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures.
What is the 4th Amendment?
This mapping method measures an object's distance from two fixed, permanent points.
What is Triangulation?
This is the standard rule for how many different items can be placed in a single container.
What is one (items must be separate)?
When dusting for prints, you should use a light touch and brush in this direction.
What is the direction of the ridges?
This document records the name of every person who enters a scene, regardless of their rank.
What is an Entry (or Security) Log?
This set of facts would lead a reasonable person to believe a crime occurred and evidence is in a specific place.
What is Probable Cause?
This method uses a straight line (like a wall) to measure evidence at right angles.
What is Coordinate (or Baseline) Mapping?
You should never store wet or biological evidence in this for long periods.
What is plastic?
This is the most common fingerprint pattern, found in 60-65% of the population.
What are loops?
These photos show the relationship between the evidence and nearby objects.
What are mid-range photos?
This rule states that evidence found during an illegal search cannot be used in court.
What is the Exclusionary Rule?
You should never use these types of objects as your fixed points for mapping.
What are movable objects?
This leak-proof paper fold is used to secure tiny trace evidence like hair or fibers.
What is the Druggist Fold (or paper bindle)?
This search pattern is essentially a line search performed again at 90 degrees.
What is a Grid Search?
This must be used in a close-up photo to show the actual size of an item.
What is a scale (or ruler)?
This exception allows an officer to seize evidence they can see while in a place they have a legal right to be.
What is Plain View?
To ensure accuracy, this many people should ideally perform measurements.
Who are two people?
This is the chronological written record of every person who has possessed a piece of evidence.
What is the Chain of Custody?
This search pattern is best for indoor scenes where a room is divided into manageable sections.
What is a Quadrant (or Zone) Search?
You should never do this to evidence until after all overall photos are taken.
What is move it?
This is the lower legal standard used for searches in schools, as established by New Jersey v. T.L.O.
What is reasonable suspicion?
This is the key used to explain symbols used for evidence in a diagram.
What is a legend?
This type of "invisible" print is made of natural oils, sweat, and environmental contaminants.
What is a latent print?
This doctrine means if the source of evidence is illegal, everything derived from it is also unusable.
What is the "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"?