Forensic Science Ch. 1 & 2 TEST

circumstantial evidence

(indirect evidence) evidence used to imply a fact but not prove it directly

Describe 2 ways that your brain may alter sensory information

1. Fear during a stressful time often interferes with an accurate memory 2. Our memory fades with time, and our brains tend to fill in details that may not be accurate

Name 3 ways you can improve you observation skills

1. Make a conscious effort to examine your environment 2. Do not filter out anything, even if it seems unimportant 3. Concentrate on collecting the most information possible and then make an informed interpretation to the

A forensic scientist is called to a court of law to provide a) fact b) opinion c) judgement d) reflection

A.

Transfer evidence can include all of the following except a) the victim's own blood gushing from a wound b) hair that was transferred to a hairbrush c) the blood of the victim found on a suspect d) a footprint

A.

Locard's exchange principal implies all of the following except a) fibers can be transferred from one person to another b) blood spatter can be used to identify the blood type c) cat hair can be transferred to your pants d) soil samples can be carried from the yard into your home

B.

Our state of mind affects how we observe our surroundings. What mental state is best for observing? a) happy b) relaxed c) nervous d) excited

B.

The forensic scientist has many duties. Which of these is NOT a job for a forensic scientist? a) give evidence in court b) question a suspect c) sign a Cause of Death document d) search for evidence

B.

Blood type is considered to be class evidence although it may not specifically identify the suspect. Explain how it still could be useful to investigate a crime.

Blood type could narrow the suspect pool, or even prove a suspect's innocence.

Case 2 At the scene of the crime, the evidence collector found a damp, bloody shirt. The evidence collector quickly wrapped the shirt in a paper bindle. He inserted the paper bindle with the shirt into an evidence bag. The bag was sealed with tape, and the collector wrote his name across the tape. The evidence collection log was completed and taped to the evidence bag. What did he do incorrectly?

Bloody t shirt should have been placed in a paper container, sealed and allowed to air dry before placing in a plastic container because any DNA present would degenerate, and evidence would become moldy and useless

All of the following are ways to improve our observational skills except a) be sure to look at the entire area, not just the body, weapons, or signs of break in b) observe everything no matter how big or small c) when collecting evidence, record only those things that you are sure are important d) write down and photograph everything you find

C.

The Innocence Project found that most faulty convictions were based on a) out of date investigating equipment b) poor DNA sampling c) inaccurate eyewitness accounts d) officers not thoroughly observing a crime scene

C.

The reason it is important to separate the witnesses at the crime scene is to a) prevent contamination of the evidence b) prevent fighting among the witnesses c) prevent the witnesses from talking to each other d) protect them from the perpetrator

C.

A crime scene sketch should include all of the following except? a) a scale of distance b) date and location of the crime scene c) a North heading on the diagram d) the type of search pattern used to collect the evidence

D.

Correct collection of evidence requires which of the following? a) documenting the location where the evidence was found b) correct packaging of evidence c) maintaining proper chain of custody d) all of the above

D.

Distinguish between circumstantial evidence and direct evidence and provide an example of each type.

Direct evidence could be any eyewitness accounts or any video or photo taken at the crime scene. Circumstantial evidence could be any class or individual evidence that could be used in order to narrow down a suspect; i. e. blood, hair, fingerprints, etc.

Good observation skills come naturally to investigators; they do not need to be trained. T/F?

False

If we remember seeing something happen, we can trust that it happened just as we think it did. T/F?

False

The Innocence Project is an organization that seeks to get convicted killers out of prison. T/F?

False; purpose was to reexamine cases of individuals convicted, using DNA evidence to provide conclusive proof of guilt or innocence

Case 3 A single hair was found on the back of a couch. The evidence collector placed it in a paper bindle. He then instered the paper bindle into a plastic evidence bag. Using tape, the evidence collector sealed the bag. After completing the evidence log and the chain-of-custody form, he brought the evidence bag to the crime lab. What did he do incorrectly?

He did not fold the bag closed before sealing, and did not place his/her name on the tape.

Briefly describe what can be detected by observing facial expressions

Microexpressions can be observed on a person's face to determine if they are being deceitful or telling the truth, etc.

Why are observation skills important to forensic science?

Observation is important for finding evidence AND for spotting patterns of criminal behavior

Describe a situation where 2 different people might perceive a crime scene in different ways

Person 1 sees a person fleeing from the site of a shooting, and thinks they are a guilty party Person 2 sees the same person fleeing, but believes they are an innocent bystander running away in fear of being shot

Case 4 Often, several different labs need to share a very small amount of evidence. It is important that the chain of custody be maintained. If the chain of custody is broken, then the evidence may not be allowed in a court proceeding. Identify the error in the following case: After obtaining the evidence, the first lab technician removed the tape that contained the signature of the crime scene evidence collector. On completion of her examination of the evidence, the lab technician put the evidence back into a paper bindle, and inserted it into an evidence bag. The technician resealed the bag in the same place as the original crime-scene investigator. After carefully sealing the bag, the lab technician signed her name across the tape. She completed the chain-of-custody form on the outside of the evidence bag and brought the evidence to the next lab technician at the crime lab. What did she do wrong?

Technician opened the package on the sealed edge, removing the name of the previous person that handled the evidence, she should have opened the package at another location than the sealed edge. After the completion of the examination, she also did not put the evidence in the original packaging, but instead puts it in new packaging all together. This does not allow a courtroom to know without a doubt that the evidence was not mis-handled.

Case One: A dead body and a gun were found in a small room. The room was empty except for a small desk and a chair. The room had two windows, a closet, and a door leading into a hallway. The crime-scene sketch artist measured the perimeter of the room and drew the walls to scale. He sketched the approximate position of the dead body and the gun. He sketched the approximate location of the chair and the desk. What did he forget to do?

The artist did not provide sketches of the doors, windows, did not provide 2 points of triangulation, date/time, name of officer drawing the sketch, address of crime scene, case number, etc.

Most wrongful convictions seem to be the result of faulty eyewitness testimony. T/F?

True

The word "forensic" refers to the application of scientific knowledge to legal questions. T/F?

True

paper bindle

a folded paper used to hold trace evidence

crime-scene reconstruction

a hypothesis of the sequence of events from before the crime was committed through its commission

individual evidence

a kind of evidence that identifies a particular person or thing

secondary crime scene

a location other than the primary crime scene, but that is in some way related to the crime, where evidence is found

crime-scene investigation

a multidisciplinary approach in which scientific and legal professionals work together to solve a crime

eyewitness

a person who has seen someone or something and can communicate these facts

fact

a statement or assertion of information that can be verified

The recorder at the crime scene needs to work with all the police personnel at the crime scene. What type of information could the recorder need to obtain from each of the following persons? a) first responding officer b) photographer c) sketch artist d) evidence collection team

a) a list of persons who entered/exited the crime scene, time of arrival, time and place the crime occurred, identity of the victim b) a ruler, a list of the items, and evidence labels, photos of scene c) the measurements of the room, a compass for orientation d) record the time/place for the evidence that was collected, including where it was found

When the crime investigators arrive at a crime scene, one of their duties is to try to collect all the evidence from the victim's body. However, due to the location of the crime scene, some evidence will need to be collected off of the body at a later time in the crime lab. For each type of situation below, describe the types of evidence that could be obtained by: a) transporting the body in a closed bag b) taking nail clippings from the deceased c) placing a plastic bag over the hands of the deceased before transporting the person to the morgue d) brushing the clothing of the victim with the clothes brush

a) there will be trace evidence such as blood, hair, skin tissue, etc., in the bag and on the victim's body b) skin cells, debris, etc. c) the bag will preserve any skin cells, dust, or fiber on the hands d) the brush would collect any hairs or fibers from the clothing

logical

conclusions drawn from assumptions and known fact

deductive reasoning

deriving the consequences from the facts using a series of logical steps

direct evidence

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

perception

interpreting information received from the senses

class evidence

material that connects an individual or thing to a certain group

opinion

personal belief founded on judgment rather than on direct experience or knowledge

forensic

relating to the application of scientific knowledge to legal questions

trace evidence

small but measurable amounts of physical or biological material found at a crime scene

analytical skills

the ability to identify a concept or problem, to isolate its component parts, to organize information for decision making, to establish criteria for evaluation, and to draw appropriate conclusions

chain of custody

the documented and unbroken transfer of evidence

first responder

the first police officer to arrive at a crime scene

primary crime scene

the location where the crime took place

observation

what a person perceives using his or her senses