Criminalistics Test Prep

A rough sketch does not need to contain an accurate depiction of the dimensions of the scene

False

A warrant less search is never justified

False

As the distance to the target of a shotgun blast decreases, the pellets separate and spread out

False

Colin Pitchfork was the first individual exonerated using DNA profiling

False

In documenting accident scenes, it is not the responsibility of the photographer to verify witnesses' viewpoints

False

Ordinary mailing envelopes can be used as evidence containers

False

Sketching allows the investigators to combine notes and photography

False

Statements made by the victim on the way to hospital cannot be recorded and included in notes

False

Surface texture is the most important of the characteristics that a criminal looks for when comparing paint chips

False

The boundaries of an indoor crime scene are usually more difficult to determine than an outdoor crime scene

False

The first pictures of the crime scene photographer takes are the close-ups photographs

False

The higher the f-number, the wider the aperture, and the more light it allows in

False

The implied consent law allows the operator of a vehicle on a public highway to refuse a test for alcohol intoxication

False

The minerals found in different soil samples cannot be used to effectively determine whether the sample have the same origin

False

The obligation to maintain the integrity of evidence belongs to the first police officer at the scene only

False

The concept of "general acceptance" of scientific evidence relates to the:

Frye Standard

Who undertook the first definitive study of fingerprints as a method of personal identification?

Galton

The rate of cooling of a dead body is not influenced by which of the following?

Gender of the victim

Assuming that fine blood spatter that is similar in appearance to that created by a gunshot wound must have been created by a gunshot is an example of what fallacy?

Generalization

Who devised the fingerprint classification system used in most English speaking countries?

Henry

What should the investigators who packaged the evidence write on the evidence tape seal?

His/her initials

The case of Mincey v. Arizona dealt with evidence at what type of crime scene?

Homicide scene

Which of the following refers to the nation fingerprint and criminal history system maintained by the FBI?

IAFIS

A component of the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network is called:

IBIS

Tool marks are not usually significant when found in vehicle searches

False

In writing his textbook on fingerprints, Sir Francis Galton was building on the groundbreaking work in this area by:

Fauld

Wayne Williams was convicted of serial murder mainly on the strength of:

Fiber evidence

What type of trace evidence was used as a trial of Wayne Williams?

Fibers

Which is not a layer of the hair shaft?

Follicle

What is a computerized archive of information relating to a specific type of physical evidence called?

Forensic database

A human hair in cross-section appeared flat in shape. What is its most likely racial origin?

Negroid

What is the minimum number of ridge characteristics necessary before two fingerprints can be identified as the same

No minimum exists

Which of the following is permissible for officers all the scenes?

None of the above

Which statement about note taking is not true?

Note taking is done after all crime scene processing has been completed

Which of the following should be performed first at a death scene?

Secure the scene

What are the three most common types of handguns

Single shot, revolvers, and semi-automatics

A rough sketch need NOT include a:

Sketch of the suspect(s)

Palynology is the study of:

Spores

What does the term "rigor mortis" refer to?

Stiffness of death

Methanphetamine is in what category of drugs

Stimulant

What is the sample uncontaminated surface material close to an area where physical evidence has been deposited called?

Substrate control

What should one surmise if a blood flow found on an object or body does not appear consistent with the direction of gravity?

The object or body was moved after the blood had dried

Arsenic is classified as a heavy metal

True

Clothing from the victim and suspects should be collected even if the presence of blood is not obvious

True

Evidence can be found on the wall and ceiling as well as on the floor at a crime scene

True

Failure to protect a crime scene properly may result in the destruction or altering of evidence

True

Investigators should take an inventory of all evidence collected so nothing is lost or left behind

True

Which of the following people attempted to destroy his fingerprints with corrosive acid

John Dillinger

What drug is not commonly tested for during a death investigation?

LSD

Prints not readily visible are commonly referred to as what

Latent

Who devised a technique for determining the blood group of a dried bloodstain, which he applied to criminal investigations?

Lattes

Ridge characteristics are ridge endings, bifurcations, enclosures, and other ridge details, and they match in two fingerprints to establish common origin

True

The likelihood of detecting gunshot residues on swabs taken from living subjects more than six hours after a firing has occurred is __ the likelihood of detecting gunshot residues within two hours of a firing

Less than

To calculate the overall frequency of occurrence of a blood type in a population, the ___________ can be applied by using a series of blood factors that occur independently of each other

Locard's exchange principle

What type of impact spatter would create a pattern consisting of large, separate drops with diameters of 5 millimeters?

Low velocity spatter

Which of the following procedure is not to be followed in collecting and packaging firearms evidence at the crime scene

Marking a fired bullet on its base for identification

Which of the statements is falsely?

Mass spectrometer measures ten absorption of light by alcohol

What is the central canal running through many hair known as

Medulla

What US Supreme Court case made it necessary for the forensic scientists to appear in court?

Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts

A person of which race is most likely to hav head hair with continuous medullae

Mongoloid

Unlike handguns a shotgun is not rifled

True

Veins carry blood towards the heart

True

When gathering soil specimens, standards/reference soils should be collected at various intervals within a 100-foot radius of the crime scene as well as at the site of the crime

True

If blood is not available which of the following can't the medical examiner use to determine the body's alcohol content to a reasonable degree of accuracy

Urine

Crime-scene reconstructors have the best chance of accuracy if the investigators do which of the following?

Use proper documentation and collection methods for all types of evidence

The stage of fusion of various bones within a skeleton can be used to estimate the _____ of the decedent.

age

Which is the most widely used and abused drug

alcohol

Crime scene reconstruction requires the piecing together of:

all of the above

Investigators should collect possible carriers of trace evidence which may include:

all of the above

The fingerprint pattern accounting for only 5% of all known patterns is the:

arch

What are IBISes?

automated screening tools for firearm evidence

Which of the following items may not be placed in an airtight container?

bloodstained clothing

According to forensic entomologists, which "witness" is the first to arrive at the crime scene?

blow fly

Which type of crime is LEAST likely to be solved with the use of fiber evidence?

bombing

Forensic science is the application of science to:

both criminal and civil laws

Officers should attempt to locate tool marks at the point of entry during the investigation of a:

burglary

A body that displays a cherry-red discoloration might lead a pathologist to suspect poisoning by:

carbon monoxide

Mohair and cashmere are hairs from:

goat

What part of the victim's body is often bagged in order to prevent loss of trace evidence?

hands

Droplets of ________ are very small. They may not travel far and could be overlooked.

high velocity spatter

When a forensic analyst determines the chemical composition of preparations that may contain illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or barbiturates, this is an example of:

identification

The pointed end of a bloodstain always faces:

in its direction of travel

Generally, bloodstain diameter ________ as height increases.

increases

Sublimation occurs with the use of which of the following

iodine fuming

Which weapon would create cast-off patterns consisting of small droplets in a linear pattern?

knife

The amount of spatter from a blood droplet falling on a hard, non-porous surface is ________ that of a drop of blood of equal size, falling from the same distance, onto a softer, porous surface.

less than

Evidence of tampering with the position of a body after death can be obtained by evaluating the:

livor mortis

A bloodstain that impacts a surface at a low angle will have a ______ tail than one that impacts at a higher angle

longer

The most common ridge pattern is the:

loop

Which is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States today?

marijuana

What must a medical examiner possess?

medical degree

The death of an individual suffering from chronic alcoholism is ruled:

natural

Field sobriety tests do NOT include:

performance of sit ups

Where must detailed information about each photograph taken at a crime scene be recorded?

photography log

The purpose of the crime-scene search is to locate what?

physical evidence

Which of the following would be most likely to cause a sharp force injury?

piece of glass

In digital photography, light is recorded as a specific charge on millions of tiny what?

pixels

What would fingerprints impressed onto a bar of soap be called?

plastic

What does ninhydrin detect on latent print?

protein material

Forensic odontology refers to the study of:

teeth

The case of Coppolino v. State highlights issues dealing with what?

the acceptability of new scientific tests

Physical evidence can be used to exonerate or exclude a person from suspicion if:

the standard reference sample (control) does not share characteristics with evidence at the crime scene

The areas searched by crime-scene investigators must include all probable points of entry and exit used by the criminal

True

The most important consideration when handling and processing physical evidence is preventing any change from taking place between the time the evidence is removed from the crime scene and the time it is received by the crime laboratory

True

The officer changed with protecting the scene has the authority to exclude fellow officers

True

The quantity and type of food present in a chain at the time of drinking does not affect the rate at which alcohol is absorbed

True

A properly maintained chain of custody is NOT the responsibility of the:

trial judge

In the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court advocated that a "gatekeeper" determine the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence. This gatekeeper is the:

trial judge

In the Primary Classification System, a finger is assigned numerical value if its pattern is a:

whorl

Beginning an hour after death, the body will lose heat at an approximate rate of:

1 - 1.5°F per hour.

How long does adipocere typically take to develop?

12 weeks

It is estimated that there are how many ridge characteristics in an average complete fingerprint

150

Lividity can be expected to be fixed after _____ hours.

16

Which item is likely to contain DNA evidence?

Bedsheets

Who developed the system known as anthropometry?

Bertillon

What fallacy when investigators try to apply a simple "yes or no" answer to a complex question?

Bifurcation

What are the most commonly encountered ridge characteristics (used by AIFIS)?

Bifurcation and ridge ending

Which of the following is a correct evidence collection procedure?

Bloodstained garments should be packaged separately in paper bags

What can be said about the beginning and end of the sequence of events at a crime-scene?

Both A and C

Which factor can help to determine whether a victim was alive during a fire?

Both A and C

What are the characteristics markings on the skin caused from the discharge of a firearm called?

Both B and C

The first responding officer must make attempts at the crime scene to detain and question:

Both witnesses and suspects/ A and C

In what year did the FBI IAFIS become fully operational

1999

Percent of population falls into 1/1 primary classification category?

25 percent

A pathologist would expect rigor mortis to disappear after _____ hours.

36

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..." is guaranteed in the US by what?

4th Amendment

The removal of any evidence from a person or from the scene of a crime must be done in conformity with the privileges of which amendment to the Constitution?

4th amendment

Which of the following is not expected to show any evidential marks or impressions?

A shotgun pellet

Police barricades, and the strategic positioning of guards are used to prohibit access to the crime scene by whom?

All unauthorized personnel

When biological samples of unknown origin are discovered at a crime scene, what should investigators do?

Assume pathogens are present and treat the samples accordingly

A corpse was discovered in an apartment last November. It was that of a 50-year-old male who died of a heart attack. At the time of discovery, the body temperature was determined to be 89°F. What is the most probable post mortem interval?

7 hours

A dry bloodstain can be collected from an object that cannot be transported to the crime lab by doing what?

All of the above

A logical reconstruction of crime-scene can be created by using which of the following processes?

All of the above

After examining a small paint chip from an auto accident scene and using the PDQ database, the crime lab worker can determine the __ of the vehicle

All of the above

Barbiturates have what effect

All of the above

The best way to guarantee that the evidence will withstand inquiries about what happened to it from the time of its finding to its presentation in court is to:

All of the above

The physical evidence that can be used to aid in a crime-scene reconstruction includes which of the following?

All of the above

What is the deposition of backward spatter produced by a gunshot wound determined by?

All of the above

Which of the following indicators can be used to estimate the time of death?

All of the above

What can be used in making an identification of a deceased individual?

All of the above/ fingerprinting, dental examination, facial reconstruction

Which two elements would be detected on the hand of an individual who has recently fired a weapon

Antimony and barium

In Kumho Tire co., Ltd. v. Carmichael, the US Supreme Court ruled that the "gatekeeper" role of a trial judge:

Applied to all expert testimony

What characteristics will a blood droplet deposited at an angle of impact of about 90 degrees (directly vertical to the surface) exhibited?

Approximately circular in shape

In a crime scene sketch, the location of an item of evidence is specified in terms of its precise distance from points of reference that:

Are fixed or immovable

The intersection of straight lines through the long axis of several individual bloodstain in an impact spatter pattern illustrates the patterns what?

Area of convergence

At the crime scene the string method is used to find out what about the impact splatter pattern?

Area of origin

The position of the victim or suspect when the stain-producing event took place is illustrated by what aspect of a bloodstain pattern in 3-dimensional space?

Area of origin

Bite marks would be LEAST likely to be found in cases involving:

Arson

The pressure of the pumping of oxygenated blood out of an injury causes bright red colored blood to spurt out and form what pattern?

Arterial spray

Purpose of friction skin ridges

B and C

Which of the following is the computerized database used to store DNA information

CODIS

The velocity classification of an impact spatter pattern:

Cannot illuminate the specific events that produced the pattern.

An investigator can estimate the minimum number of blows inflicted on a victim by locating and counting the matching patterns of what type of spatter?

Cast-off

What is the list of people who have come into possession of an item of evidence called?

Chain of custody

Hair and fiber evidence are examples of what kind of evidence?

Circumstantial

Which of the following is least likely to lead to psychological dependence

Codeine

At an arson scene, the collection of a substrate control would require the arson investigator to:

Collect a piece of the surface material near the fire's origin that he or she believes was not exposed to the accelerant.

What is the logical first step in soil analysis

Comparison of dried soil sample for color and texture

What is AIFIS

Computerized system for storing and retrieving fingerprint records

The value of class physical evidence lies in its ability to:

Corroborates events with data in manner nearly without biasis

Where are the pigment granules that impact hair color found

Cortex

What juridical case set forth the most current guidelines for determining the admissibility of scientific examinations in the federal courts?

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals

The current system of crime laboratories in the US can best be described as which of the following?

Decentralizing

Forensic databases are not maintained for which one of the following?

Dental impressions

If the crime scene includes a dead body, the photographer should:

Depict injuries and weapons at the crime scene

To permanently alter his or her fingerprints and produce scars a person must damage what

Dermal papillae

Which of the following is not a concern of the evidence collector?

Determining the natural variations that exist in physical evidence

The fictional character of Sherlock Holmes was created by:

Doyle

In what situation is the photograph technique of "painting with light" used?

During night time

The approximate drying time of a pool of blood can be used to estimate timing of events at a crime scene and varies according to what?

Environmental conditions at the scene

Crime-scene photography must produce examination-quality photographs, which are photographs that can be easily interpreted by whom?

Everyone involved in the case

Who established the comparison microscope as the indispensable tool of the modern firearms examiner?

Goddard

The likelihood of finding a physical evidence is __ the likelihood of finding physical evidence with individual characteristics

Greater than

Who wrote the first treatise describing the application of science to the field of criminal investigations?

Gross

Which physical symptom is part of abstinence syndrome

Hallucinations, body chills, stomach cramps, vomiting, and convulsions

Where are defensive wounds most typically seen?

Hands

Most common type of bloodstain pattern at a crime scene?

Impact spatter

The most common methods of crime-scene recording do not include which of the following?

Infrared analysis

The conviction of Ennis Cosby killer was aided by the DNA analysis performed on a hair that was crucial evidence in the case. Which is true about this hair?

It belonged to the killer, found in his cap which he wrapped around the murder weapon in before discarding it

Crime-scene should be included in reconstruction only if it meets which of the following criteria?

It has a confirmed chain of custody

Father of forensic toxicology

Orfila

What does hemoglobin carry?

Oxygen

How should shoe and tire marks impressed into soft earth be preserved and gathered as evidence?

Photographing and then casting with dental stone

In the case of Schmerber v. California, blood was categorized as being:

Physical

What information can an investigator gain from locating of the area of origin of a bloodstain pattern?

Position of person from which pattern orientated

Which of the following may give clues about the timing of an incident?

Position of the day's newspaper inside or outside the house

Time of death can be approximated by analyzing the vitreous humor and the levels of:

Potassium

What is the frequency of occurrence of a type of event called?

Probability

The fact that the overall frequency of an event can be determined by multiplying together the frequencies of the independently occurring factors related to the event is called what?

Product rule

After providing medical assistance for the injured and arresting any suspects on the scene, the first officer should immediately:

Secure the scene

The types of evidence commonly found during a vehicle search include all of the following except which?

Questioned documents

Flotation is a method used by scientists to determine the _____ of a particle of glass.

Refractive index

The number of pixels contained in a digital camera is directly related to the detail and sharpness of the image, which is called it's what?

Resolution

The revolvers features several firing chambers. Where are they located?

Rotating cylinder

What database includes more then 8 thousand different sole patterns from more than 300 manufacturers of shoes?

SICAR

Rough surface usually results in stains with what type of spatter?

Satellite

Tools and tool marks are often found at burglary scenes and can be useful evidence. Proper evidence collection by the field investigator would include:

Taking a photograph and cast of the marks if necessary

The condition at a crime scene can be compromised by all of the following actions except:

Taking photographs at the crime scene

Digital crime scene photographs require special measures to assure their admissibility in court due to:

The ability to manipulate the images

The center of the crime scene, which is always included within the crime scene's boundary, is:

The area where the crime occurred.

Which of the following factors is least likely to be considered by the technician examining a tool mark

The brand name of the tool

What is the reason the grooves are rifled into the bone of a gun?

The bullet will be made to spin and thus have a true and accurate course on leaving the barrel

Warrantless searches are permitted under law in all of the following situations except:

The injury or death of a police officer or law enforcement employee

Who ultimately determines the significance of physical evidence during a trial?

The jury

The "jigsaw fir" of known and questioned fragments is important for court presentation primarily because:

The method definitely demonstrates common origin if a match is made

What determines the appropriate manner of collecting and preserving physical evidence as a crime scene?

The nature of the evidence

The advantages of recording crime-scene notes on an audio-recording device include all of the following except:

The notes can be recorded at the crime laboratory instead of at the crime scene.

The presence of high levels of a carbon monoxide in the blood of a victim found at the scene of a suspicious fire is proof of what about the victim

The victim perished after the fire

The police are not required to obtain a search warrant in which of the following situations?

They are in the process of a legal arrest

What is commonly fractured in strangulation cases?

Thyroid cartilage

Not considered porous surface?

Tile

After a gun is recovered from an underwater location, it should be:

Transported to the crime lab in a container right enough of the water necessary to keep it submerged

A minimum of 8 feet of the tire impressions should be photographed

True

A plain arch is the simplest of all fingerprint patterns

True

What is the initial survey of the crime scene that is carried out by the lead investigator called?

Walk-through

Superglue fuming is NOT suitable for use on:

cardboard

Paint chips, random glass fragments, and synthetic fibers all exhibit:

class characteristics

The use of which drug will NOT lead to physical dependence?

cocaine

Crime scene sketches serve a unique purpose in permanently documenting the location of evidence:

collected and removed from the crime scene

When a paint chip found on a hit-and-run victim's garment is examined side-by-side with paint removed from a vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident, this is an example of what?

comparison

When an object with blood on it touches one that does not have blood on it, this produces what?

contact pattern

The pattern and intensity of dependency on a drug does not depend on which of the following

cost of the drug

Which plant fiber is the most prevalent by far?

cotton

Which part of the hair shaft is most resistant to chemical decomposition?

cuticle

Putrefaction and autolysis are two types of _____ processes.

decomposition

The distribution of gunpowder particles and other discharge residues around a bullet hole permits:

determination of the distance from which the gun was fired

Small amounts of trace evidence can be conveniently packaged in a carefully folded paper package called what?

druggist fold

What should a victim's fingernail scrapings be packaged in?

druggist fold

Specially trained personnel called _________ are employed by some crime laboratories on 24-hour call to retrieve evidence and have all the proper tools and supplies for proper collection and packaging of evidence at their disposal

evidence technicians

The cameras aperture is commonly adjusted on the SLR and DSLR cameras by adjusting what?

f-stop

Which of the following would not be included in the work of the biology unit of a crime lab?

fingerprint analysis

Where are the pores of the sweat glands located?

skin ridges

The barrel of a shotgun is ...

smooth without grooves and lands

Discharged evidence bullets must be carefully handled to avoid damage to the:

striation markings

The corroborative use of physical evidence means that it can be used to:

support other investigative findings

After successfully visualizing a latent print on an object, an investigator should next:

take a 1:1 photograph of the print