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Physical evidence
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Evidence: that which tends to prove or disprove something.
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Q: Who decides the value of evidence in a criminal trial?A: A jury of 12 ordinary people.
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So far we learned about testimonial evidence, which is oral or written statements given by people who witnessed an event.
It can be useful in making a case, but it is unreliable.
Fortunately, there is another kind of evidence that is much more reliable.
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Physical evidence: Any evidence found at a crime scene in the form of a physical object.
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Functions of a forensic scientist:analyze physical evidence.provide expert testimony. furnish training on the proper collection of
physical evidence.
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Uses of physical evidence:to link a suspect to a crime sceneTo link a victim to a crime sceneTo prove a crime has been committed
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A forensic scientist is not on the side of the prosecution or the defense. A forensic scientist is on the side of the truth.
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Physical evidence includes, but is not limited to,FingerprintsDocumentsBulletsBloodHairFibersSoil GlassDNA
FootprintsTool marksComputersphotographs
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Classifying physical evidence by characteristicsClass Characteristics
Evidence associated only with a group is said to have class characteristics.
Individual CharacteristicsEvidence that can be associated to a common source with an extremely high degree of probability is said to possess individual characteristics.
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Class Characteristics … are physical qualities shared by a group of ‘like’ items, such as:
the tread patterns on a brand of new athletic shoes
the ABO typing of a blood sample (i.e.: AB negative)
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Individual Characteristics … are physical qualities that are unique to an individual evidence item, such as:
a pattern of cuts and wear marks on the tread patterns on a used pair of athletic shoes
The DNA profile for a blood sample
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Class characteristics are far more common than individual characteristics.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?For each of the following pieces of evidence,
say whether it has class characteristics or individual characteristics and explain why.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?1. The September, 2013, issue of Sports
Illustrated magazine.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?2. A piece of a broken coffee cup.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?3. A hand-written grocery list.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?4. A rock of crack cocaine.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?5. A new, unfired ammunition cartridge
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Class or Individual characteristics ?6. A fired bullet.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?7. A fingerprint.
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Class or Individual characteristics ?8. A wool fiber.
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Other classifications of evidenceTrace evidence: Physical evidence that is
found at a crime scene in small but measurable amounts.
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Other classifications of evidenceDirect evidence: Evidence that (if true)
proves an alleged fact, such as an eyewitness account or a confession.
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Other classifications of evidenceCircumstantial evidence: Evidence that
implies a fact but cannot prove it directly. All physical evidence is circumstantial evidence.
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As the number of different objects linking an individual to a crime increases, the probability of involvement increases dramatically.