Questions and Answers
What should an investigator do upon receiving a call to a crime scene?
Begin taking notes immediately after receiving the call to the crime scene.
What action should Jim take when a witness refuses to speak?
Wait and make notes immediately after the interview.
Which statement is true of an official investigative report?
It can be used as evidence during trials.
What should an investigating officer consider while writing a police report?
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What preliminary information should be included in a report?
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Rebecca is likely to suggest removing ________ from the initial complaint.
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Which documentation methods should Daniel use to capture evidence at the murder scene?
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What is true about digital video recording at the crime scene?
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What could Joe have used to avoid issues when photographing footprints?
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Is it necessary for the person taking a photograph to testify about it in court?
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Which feature is shared by both rough and finished sketches?
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Which sketching method should Tim adopt when investigating a crash site?
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What depicts an 'at-a-glance' summary of an investigation?
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Where can Blake find details of the earlier drug smuggling case?
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What type of photograph is significant and contributes to the specific case?
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Original notes should be used to write your official report. Once completed, the original notes may be discarded or destroyed.
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Cheadle v. Barwell (1933) is known as the 'best evidence' rule, which includes maintaining and providing original notes as part of the evidence.
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Supplemental reports are used when new sources of information are discovered or developed.
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Crime scene photographs should be taken with photographic film cameras, as digital photographs can be easily altered.
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Which range-view is used for views less than 5 feet away from evidence?
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It is acceptable to place a common item (like a coin) in the photo to show the size and distance of an item you are photographing.
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Crime scene photographs should be logged in a photo log documenting key details.
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The original rough sketch may be discarded or destroyed after the finished sketch is made and finalized.
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For an indoor crime scene, it is acceptable to measure distances from the nearest walls uniquely to each room.
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For sketching an outdoor crime scene, polar coordinates involve measuring angles and distances to items from a datum point.
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Study Notes
Crime Scene Investigation Notes
- Note-taking should commence immediately upon receiving a call to a crime scene to ensure accurate documentation.
- If a witness is hesitant to speak while being interviewed, the investigator should pause and take notes after the interview instead of pressuring the witness.
- Official investigative reports serve as evidence in court proceedings, emphasizing their importance.
- Investigators must include factual information in police reports, avoiding conclusions based on presumptions.
- Preliminary information for reports should identify the crime's location, time, and nature.
- In comprehensive documentation of an investigation, initial complaints should focus on key elements, possibly moving excessive details to supplemental reports.
- To capture evidence accurately at a crime scene, utilize both digital video and photographs to maintain an unchanged state of the location.
- Digital video recordings are beneficial for courtroom presentations due to their easy playback on various devices.
- When photographing crime scenes, markers can enhance the clarity of evidence by providing context for size and distance.
- Photographs can be admissible in court even if the original photographer does not testify about them.
- Both rough sketches and finished sketches are admissible in court, serving as important visual aids in investigations.
- The triangulation sketching method is suitable for crash sites with irregular layouts, ensuring precise evidence mapping.
- A face sheet provides a quick overview summarizing key details of an investigation.
- Comparison of drug cases can be facilitated by referring to supplemental reports containing details of previous related cases.
- Material photographs contribute substantively to specific investigations, ensuring relevance to the case.
- Original notes must be preserved for official reports; they should never be discarded or destroyed.
- The "best evidence" rule established in Cheadle v. Barwell emphasizes maintaining original notes as admissible evidence.
- Supplemental reports are essential for recording new evidence or witnesses that emerge during investigations.
- Digital crime scene photographs hold the same legal validity as film photographs, contradicting beliefs that digital formats are more easily altered.
- Close-up views in photography are critical for capturing detailed aspects of evidence from short distances, enhancing the specificity of the visual records.
- Common items, like coins, can serve as size references in photographs when a ruler is unavailable, aiding in evidence presentation.
- A detailed photo log is necessary for documenting crime scene photographs, ensuring accountability through metadata like date, location, and photographer.
- Original rough sketches should be retained even after completing finished sketches to preserve all documentation phases of the crime scene.
- Accurate distance measurements for indoor crime scene sketches should originate from two right-angle walls rather than from arbitrary points within the room.
- Using polar coordinates for outdoor crime scene sketches involves measuring angles and distances from a chosen datum point, which enhances the accuracy of evidence layouts.
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