Forensic Science Test review

1. What is the Fourth Amendment? The 4th Amendment provides citizens with protection from illegal search and seizure.

2. What are the provisions for the Fifth Amendment? The provisions of the 5th from double jeopardy, assurances of due process, right to a grand jury, and protection from eminent domain.

3. What is the Sixth Amendment? The 6th Amendment provides citizens with the right to a speedy, public trial by a jury.

4. Compare and contrast direct vs. indirect evidence. Direct evidence is evidence found on their person, caught on video, caught on audio, eyewitness account, or a confession. Indirect is anything else.

5 Compare and contrast class vs. individual evidence. Individual evidence is evidence that can be traced back to a SINGLE, UNIQUE source.

Examples: DNA, fingerprints, handwriting… Class evidence is evidence that can be traced to a category. Examples: blood type, typewritten note, shoe size, shirt color, eye color…

6. What is the burden of proof required to issue a search warrant? Probable cause

7. What are the exceptions to this burden of proof in order to legally search an area or individual? The exceptions are consent, search incident to arrest, plain view, reasonable suspicion, and emergency/exigent circumstances.

8. If a detective were to come across a marked bill in a recent bank robbery while walking outside the cordoned off crime scene, would he or she be able to take that bill and submit it as evidence in the case? This bill is admissible as evidence because it is in plain view of the officer.

9. A search warrant is issued for the garage of a suspected drug dealer's home. While searching the garage, an officer notices that there is a closed door in the ceiling up to the attic. The officer takes it upon himself to enter the attic and discovers several kilograms of cocaine in suitcases. Would this cocaine be admissible in court? Why or why not? This search is illegal, therefore the cocaine would be considered inadmissible. Going into the attic exceeds the purview of the search warrant.

10. An officer responds to a disturbing the peace call at a house. The officer knocks on the door and no one answers it. He hears what seems to be a woman screaming and deep-toned laughter coming from inside the home. Would the officer legally be able to enter the home without a search warrant? The screaming and laughter COULD be construed as possible exigent circumstances that crime or malfeasance is afoot.

11. Mrs. Jones saw the exchange between two well-known neighborhood kids of what appeared to be a plastic baggie with a white powder in it. She ran next door and told Mr. Everett about what she had witnessed. Since Mr. Everett is the president of the local neighborhood watch, he told the police about what Mrs. Jones had conveyed to him. Is Mr. Everett's story to the police considered to be direct or indirect evidence? Class or individual? Mr. Everett’s story is indirect since he did not personally see the act. It was told to him by Mrs. Jones. It is individual because the two kids involved were “well-known”.

12. Kermit the Frog was found dead in his home. A handwritten note was found pinned to Kermit's body. The note stated that if $1 million was not wired to a specific bank account, Ms. Piggy was going to experience the same fate as Kermit. Would the note be considered direct or indirect evidence? Class or individual? This note could be considered either direct or indirect, because it is a threat directly linked to the alleged murder. Since it doesn’t satisfy one of the five direct evidence tenets, you could also consider it to be indirect. However, the note is handwritten, therefore it would be considered individual in nature.

13. Sam the Sleazebag is seen by Dudley Doright walking into a bank with what appears to be a shotgun and a duffel bag. Minutes later, Sam is witnessed by Dudley fleeing the scene on foot. Later that evening, Dudley watches the local news and sees that two banks were robbed that day. Being the person that he is, Dudley goes to the police station and reports what he saw earlier. What type of evidence would Dudley's testimony be: direct or indirect and class or individual? This evidence is direct since it is an eyewitness account by Dudley. It is also individual in nature, because his story implicates Sam the Sleazebag.

14. While scouring the scene of an apparent burglary, Victoria's crime scene team discovers several long hairs. What type of evidence would this hair be considered: direct or indirect and class or individual? The hairs are indirect and class.

15. Angelina's crime scene team discovers what appears to be a lip print and several fingerprints on a glass at the scene of a possible homicide in a high rise condominium. What type of evidence would the finger and lip prints be considered: direct or indirect and class or individual? The fingerprints/lip prints could be considered either direct or indirect, because their presence directly links the owner of the prints to the scene. The fingerprints/lip prints are definitely individual in nature, though.

16. After using an ultraviolet light at the scene of a burglary, Javon's crime scene team discovers a confession note written in invisible ink on the wall. Would the nature of this evidence be considered class or individual? Direct or indirect? Confessions are always direct evidence. With it being handwritten, the note is also individual.

17. Ayana tells Kylie the Undercover Cop that she saw Carlea, Ti'miah, Braelyn, and Iyana hide the basketballs in the training room. What type of testimony is Ayana's story: direct or indirect? Class or individual? Ayana reports to Kylie which makes her eyewitness account to be direct in nature. Her story implicates four particular students, therefore the account is individual in nature.

18. Mr. Ellis breaks into his neighbor's house to steal a bag of Skittles. Later, police issue a search warrant for Mr. Ellis' clothing. The police find small shards of glass on the sleeves of his shirt and see a few minor cuts on his hands while conducting the search. What type of evidence would the glass shards recovered from Mr. Ellis' sleeves be considered class or individual? The evidence is both indirect and class in nature.

19. A murder suspect is injured during the course of the commission of his alleged act. The victim's blood is found to be AB-, and the suspect’s blood is found to be O+. Blood type is considered which type of evidence: class or individual? If the serology lab were able to extract DNA from the blood samples, what type of evidence would it be considered? Blood type is always considered to be class in nature. If DNA can be extracted, then the blood evidence becomes individual.

20. Mr. Ellis is apprehended for stealing corn dogs from Costco. Prior to him being read his rights, he exclaims, "Yes, I stole those corn dogs. Anyone who has eaten them knows that they are the Mercedes-Benz of all corn dogs." What type of evidence would his admission be: direct or indirect? Class or individual? This is considered a confession, therefore it is direct evidence. The confession implicates ONLY Mr. Ellis, therefore it is individual in nature.

21. How do the factors of age, race, drugs and alcohol, and other witnesses affect eyewitness reliability? A) Age affects reliability—the very young and elderly make for the best eyewitnesses. B) Race—race affects reliability because of the “Cross Race Effect”. The Cross-Race Effect means that people identify their own race more accurately than they do another race. C) Drugs and alcohol—drugs and alcohol adversely affect eyewitness reliability; the more under the influence an individual is, the less reliable the individual is. D) Other witnesses—other witnesses adversely affect fellow witnesses due to the power of suggestion. If one witness views a possible suspect as blonde, they can suggest to another witness that their own observation was incorrect.

22. How do the factors of suspect attractiveness, distinctive marks, tattoos, lighting/time of day, familiarity with one’s surroundings affect suspect identification reliability? A) Suspect attractiveness—the more attractive or less attractive a suspect is, the higher the identification reliability. B) Distinctive marks—the more distinctive marks (scars, moles, etc) the higher the identification reliability. C) Tattoos—just like distinctive marks, the more tattoos, the higher the identification reliability. D) Lighting/time of day—typically, the better the lighting, the better details can be picked up on. Therefore, the better the quality of lighting, the better the identification reliability. Familiarity of surroundings—the more familiar the witness is with his or her surroundings, the higher the identification reliability.