forensics vocab chapter 2 and 3

Evidence

• Tends to Prove and establish a fact

• documents and testimony

testimonial evidence

• primia facie evidence

• what is said in court by a competent witness

physical evidence

• tangible items that tend to prove a fact

• real evidence

indirect evidence

evidence proving only a basis or inference about the disputed fact

circumstantial evidence

evidence based on suggestion rather than personal knowledge or observation

questioned/unknown sample

material that has been collected from a known location but is of unknown origin

known sample

material that comes from a proven or known source

control sample

• material similar to questioned and known samples

• used to validate the test methor or procedure

individual evidence

• material that can be related to a single source

• individualization always involved in a comparison

class evidence

material that can be associated only with a group of items that share properties or characters

crime scene

any place where evidence may be located and gathered to help explain events

modus operandi

• the characteristic method of how a criminal operates

• can be called their MO

accelerant

a flammable substance used to start a fire

chain of custody

a written record of all people who have had possession of an item of evidence