Before the Midterm Flashcards
The body or basic elements of a crime are described by the Latin term:
Corpus delicti
Forensic science differs from the traditional sciences because the results of physical evidence are:
Used in legal proceedings
What acronym refers to the computer database of DNA profiles?
CODIS
What acronym refers to a computer database of fingerprints?
AFIS
What individual established one of the worlds first police crime laboratories in Lyon, France in 1910?
Edmond locard
What forensic organization is involved in the accreditation of forensic laboratories and crime scene units?
ASCLD/LAB
The scientific method is
A multistep method of inquiry used by scientists, a method used by investigators to reconstruct crime scene evidence
What is not considered a manner of death
Asphyxiation
What is considered a cause of death?
Asphyxiation
The science that examines the effects of extraneous materials such as poisons on the human body is known as
Toxicology
True or false: suicide is considered a cause of death
False
True or false: Calvin Goddard established a crime lab in Chicago in 1929 and believed in using fire arms evidence in investigations
True
True or false: AFIS is a computer database containing images of bullets and cartridge cases
False
True or false: a forensic pathologist may specialize in the profiling of perpetrators in serial murders or serial rapist cases
False
True or false: Criminalistics is a forensic science discipline that involves recognition, identification, individualization, and evaluation of physical evidence using methods of science.
True
Define forensic science
A natural science that is applied to the law
Explain the main difference between the corner system and the medical examiner system
A coroner is elected and does not have to be an actual doctor, and a medical examiner must be a MD
List the four basic steps of the scientific method
- observation
- formulate hypothesis
- test hypothesis
- record and retest several times to determine accuracy of the original result
Explain the linkage triangle
All of the components ( scene, suspect, and victim) are linked together thorough evidence
What is an example of a striation mark?
Markings on the side of a bullet
What is an example of an indentation?
Tire marks in mud
If a comparison shows that a questioned specimen does not originate from a known source, the result would be termed:
An exclusion
What is the first step in processing physical evidence?
Recognition
Establishing the exact whereabouts of an item if evidence and under whose control it was from the time of its collection to its admissibility in court, is known as maintaining:
Chain of custody
Documentation of evidence includes:
- recording the location of evidence at the scene
- labeling the packaging used to collect the evidence
- recording the name of the person who collected the evidence
What container is the most appropriate for packaging a bloody shirt from a murder scene?
A paper bag, folded closed and taped sealed
What is some criteria that would be use by the court of law to qualify a forensic scientist as an expert in his/her field?
Training, education, experience
Probable cause is defined as
Sufficient evidence to believe that crime has been committed
In the case of William daubert v merrel Dow pharamaceutical, the U.S. Supreme Court issued guidelines for the admissibility of scientific evidence and advocated the role of gatekeeper to which individual?
The trial’s judge
True or false: a dusty footprint on a concrete floor is an example of an indentation
False
True or false: hair and dandruff falling for a perpetrator to a crime scene surface by the force of gravity is an example of locards principle in action
False
A connection, relationship, or association between objects and/or persons is termed as linkage.
True
The courts of law may qualify an individual as an eyewitness if he or she has demonstrated skill, knowledge, or experience beyond that of a lay person
False
The NIBIN computer database can determine the two cartridge cases were fired from the same weapon
True
What does the locard exchange principle state and describe a crime scene situation that illustrates this principle
- when two objects come into contact, both objects will leave something on the other
- if a man sexually assaults a woman, his DNA from semen can be left on her clothes, and a strain of her hair could attach to his jacket
Distinguish between an imprint and an indentation mark.
Both leave an identifying marker such as a finger print or shoe print
Imprint: 2D; in blood in a hard surface
Indentation: 3D; soft, receiving area such as mud or sand
What type of packaging should be used for biological evidence, what type of packaging should be avoided, and why is this type of packaging an important consideration?
Should be used: paper
Should not be avoided: plastic
Why: biological things tend to grow mold and become useless; paper packaging is porous.and allows the evidence to breathe
What is the difference between a questioned specimen and a known specimen?
Questioned: found at a crime scene and the origin is unknown
Known: analysis will show what the origin of a specimen is
List three investigative computer databases and briefly describe what type of evidence each contains
AFIS: Fingerprints
CODIS: DNA
NIBIN: ballistics
What is not an example of evidence that could potentially yield a secondary physical match?
A broken automobile glass headlamp
There are two types of physical matches:
primary and secondary
A document which an illegal copy of something, made for the purpose of deception, is known as a:
forgery
What is an example of a writing surface?
paper
If the K and Q patterns do not match, what conclusion should be reported in the forensic lab report?
Exclusion
A physical match between pieces of a broken plate would be an example of a:
direct physical match
The type of marking made on a soft surface by the movement of a hard object across that surface is known as:
a striation
A chemical technique used to improve contrast of pattern evidence would be:
blue star
If the K and Q patterns match, what conclusion should be reported in the forensic lab report?
Inclusion
The normal variation within an individual’s handwriting should be more than the variation between handwriting from two different individuals.
False
When a suspect is providing a requested writing sample, his grammar and spelling should always be correct.
False
Questioned document examiners prefer to work with a photocopy of question documents in order to perform an examination.
False
A jigsaw fit match is equivalent to a secondary physical match
False
The Jump man logo on a pair of Nike shoes is considered a class characteristic.
True
Tires and footwear are items which are mass produced and have class and individual characteristics. Define “class characteristics” and individual characteristics”. Give one example each of a class characteristic and an individual characteristic for tires/footwear.
Class characteristics: something an entire group of one item has in common
Tire: tread of a certain brand
Shoe: marks of a sneaker v marks of a boot
Individual characteristics: something that stands out from class characteristics and is more distinctive Tire: wear down from use/specific year abnormality Shoe: pebbles cause different traction
List and give examples of the different techniques that can be used to improve the contrast between pattern evidence and background surfaces
Photo techniques: filters, UV lighting
Imagery: photoshop, image pro
Chemical techniques: luminol
Explain why the Scientific method is important for both forensic science and crime scene investigation
Knowledge Foundation
Forms basis for event reconstruction
Forms basis for investigations
What does ASCLD/LAB stand for?
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board
Describe the significance of the Daubert court decision on the admissibility of scientific evidence. Specifically, who is the gatekeeper of scientific evidence during a trial List the criteria for determining the admissibility of scientific evidence
Gatekeeper: the judge of the trial
Criteria:
- subject to significant testing
- generally accepted (Frye criterion)
- Subjected to error rate analysis
- Peer reviewed
List the three types of photographs taken at a crime scene and briefly describe what each type depicts
Overall: scene at arrival
Midrange: show spatial relationship and locations of items of evidence
Close up: each item of evidence individually
Which of the following factors influence the final appearance of a bloodstain that is formed when a blood droplet strikes a surface?
All of the above
A blood droplet striking a non-absorbent smooth surface at an 80 degree angle of incidence would form a blood stain with the following shape:
nearly circular
A blood droplet striking a non absorbent smooth surface at a 10 degree angle of incidence would form a bloodstain with the following shape:
a highly elongated ellipse
Tangential fracture lines have the following characteristics:
encircle the point of impact
Which of these can not be found in GSR
none of the above
Skid mark patterns can provide the following helpful crime scene reconstruction information:
the location of the accident
the direction of movement of the vehicle
GSR stands for
Gunshot Residue
Gun shot residue patterns around a bullet hole are used to determine:
the muzzle to target distance
The science which studies the flight of a firearms projectile through the air is called:
ballistics
Which of the following patterns can be used for crime scene reconstruction?
All of the above
T/F A wipe pattern is created when a bloody object that is in motion contacts another surface
False
T/F The cone shaped pattern at the point of impact of a projectile with a glass window would be expected to be wider on the exit side
True
T/F The length of the skid mark at an accident scene can be used to determine the speed of the vehicle at the time the operator applied the brakes
True
T/F Clothing or objects scattered around a residential crime scene may provide indications of a struggle, or simply reflect the typical living conditions of the owner
True
T/F Criminal Profiling creates a hypothetical picture of an offender in an unsolved case
True
Distinguish between a wipe and a swipe bloodstain pattern.
Swipe: blood is transferred from a source and creates a pattern (like a hand with blood on it, in motion, on a wall)
Wipe: A blood pattern that started off as a preexisting blood pattern but something got dragged through it
What helpful information can be gained by examining tire and skid mark patterns at an accident scene
number of vehicles
location of vehicles
direction of movement
length of skid marks can help accident reconstruction investigator determine the speed of the vehicle at the time the brakes were applied
Explain how a firearms examiner would perform muzzle to target distance estimation using GSR patterns
A series of test firings are done using the same weapon and ammunition as the ones thought to have been used.
The test patterns are then compared to the scene patterns to make an estimate of shooting distance.
What information is used by a criminal profiler in developing a hypothetical picture of an offender in an unsolved case?
Mordus operandi, knowledge of past, similar cases, psychology
Describe and distinguish between low, medium, and high velocity impact blood splatter patterns. Provide a short example of a situation that would produce each type of pattern.
Low: caused by falling blood dripping naturally from gravity
Example: hit in the nose once
Medium: moderate force from an object acts upon pooled area of blood and causes the blood to scatter small drops in all directions
Example: hit in the nose again with a bat
High: extreme force acting upon a blood source
Example: gunshot
What are the three components of gunshot residue?
burn and unburned particles
lead
primer residue
What does SWGSTAIN stand for
Scientific Working group for blood stain pattern analysis
