Forensics Final

Why is the chain of custody important?

In order to present credible evidence in court

The 12 characteristics fall under three major categories, they are

Letter form, line form, formatting

Whenever two objects are in contact, some transfer of material will occur. This is known as____

Locard's Principle

List the seven S's of crime scene investigations

Secure the scene. Separate the witnesses. Scan the scene. Snap pictures Sketch the scene. Search for evidence. Secure the collected evidence.

What are three things the Forensic examiner must be able to do?

The forensic examiner must be able to find—identify the evidence. 2. The forensic examiner must be able to document—record the evidence."— Presentation transcript: ... The forensic examiner must be able to interpret—accurately determine the significance of the evidence.

Fibers are classified as either

natural fibers or synthetic fibers

Name four ways that investigators can examine fiber evidence

1) Light microscope 2) black light 3)gas chromotograph 3)infared scope

The 12 characteristics of handwriting include...

1. Line Quality- Do the letters flow or are they written with very intent strokes 2. Spacing of words and letters- what is the average space between words and letters? 3. Ratio of height, width, and size of letters- are the letters consistent in height, width, and size? 4. Lifting pen: Does the author lift his or her pen to stop writing a word and start writing a new word?5. Connecting strokes: How are capital letters connected to lower case letters? 6. Strokes to begin and end- where does the letter begin and end on a page? 7. Unusual letter formation- Are any letters written with unusual slants or angles? Are some letters printed rather written in cursive? 8. Pen pressure- How much pressure is applied on upward and downward strokes? 9. Slant- Do letters slant to the left or right? If slant is pronounces, a protractor may be used to determine the degree. 10.Baseline Habits- Does the author write on the line or does the writing go above or below the line? 11.Fancy writing habits- Are there any unusual curls, loops, or unique styles? 12.Placement of Diacritics- How does the author cross the t's or dot the i's

Early collection of fibers in an investigation is critical. Fibers shoudl be collected within _____hours if possible

24

What are three of the main purposes for hair?

Acts as a sensory organ, protects against sunlight, decreases friction, regulates body temp

What is the innocence project?

An organization staffed by lawyers and law students who reexamine cases and provide legal assistance to convicts when there is a probability that serious errors occurred in their prosecution.

In handwriting analysis, FISH refers to

Forensics Information System for Handwriting

Security features on money

Raised portrait off of the dollar bill. Clear, precise borders. A security thread in the bill. It has minute printing around the security thread and the portrait.

Forensic Science

The application of scientific knowledge to questions of civil and criminal law.

Observations are affected by:

Their emotional states Whether they were alone, part of a group, or near others What type of and how much activity was going on around them

Observations are

Things that you can see but also feel, taste, smell, or hear Items you need to note carefully Our perceptions (how we interpret information received from the senses) limit what we observe It is an active process that takes training to develop

A tool mark is any impression, scratch, or abrasion made when contact occurs between a tool and an object.

True

Tools have unique characteristics due to manufacturing processes and use over time.

True

What is the principle of exchange?

When a person comes in contact with an object or another person, a cross-transfer of physical material can occur. Study of the material can determine the nature and duration of the transfer.

Counterfeiting is when

a false documents or other items are copied for the purpose of deception

Which saw has a cut characteristic that is classified as "very smooth, seldom has overlapping marks

bandsaw

ome factors that personalize our footwear include:

body weight. the shape of the foot and the wearer's activities. the surface on which the person usually walks

Which saw has a cut characteristic that is classified as "messy"

chainsaw

Consistent bite mark evidence alone is not sufficient for a conviction, but it does provide ________________ evidence that may be helpful in building a case. *

circumstantial

Hair is considered

class evidence

The region of a hair located outside of the medulla containing granules of pigment is called

cortex

What are the three categories of tool marks

cutting, abrasion, indentation

When fibers are transferred directly from victim to suspect or suspect to victim, this is called:

direct transfer

A person's handwriting exhibit unique characteristics that make it

distinguishable

Forgeries are

document made, adapted, or falsified with the intention of deceiving someone.

What is the term used to describe when a charged piece of film is used to obtain an image left by a dry shoe?

electrostatic dusting and lifting

Direct Evidence is

evidence that (if true) proves an alleged fact, such as an eyewitness account of a crime

A hair consists of two main parts the

follicle and the shaft

Fiberglass is a fiber of

glass

Which saw has a cut characteristic that is classified as "rough marks with overlapping marks" ·

handsaw

The cuticle of human hair is described as having an ____________ pattern

imbricate

A mark or impression made by a tool when it is pressed against a softer surface is:

indentation

Name two of the three basic categories of impressions.

latent, patent, plastic

There are several different methods to make latent prints visible. These include:

luminol to make bloody footprints visible. dusting of the latent print, which reveals an impression and makes it visible to be photographed and lifted. electrostatic lifting and gel lifting techniques, which capture 'invisible' impression

The central core of a hair fiber is called the

medulla

A small molecule that may bond to other monomers to become a polymer is a:

monomer

Initial comparisons of document are done by

naked eye hand held lens microscop

The best way to document tool and tool mark evidence is to use

photography

Weave patterns have names like tabby, twill and

satin

The transfer of evidence such as a fiber from a source to a person, then to another person, is called:

secondary transfer

An adult's height is generally related to

shoe size

What is sometimes found in a counterfeit bill that turns dark when it comes into contact with a counterfeit pen?

starch

It is possible to determine whether a person was running or walking by:

the length of the stride and the pressure or shape of the impression.

The number of threads that are packed together for any given amount of fabric is known as

thread count

Hair proceeds through __________________ stages as it develops.

three (anagen, catagen, telogen

The primary purpose of forging something is

to profit from the fake or alteration

Fibers that have been spun together are called:

yarn