Forensic Evidence Quiz

Information or material used in legal proceedings to prove or disprove a fact or argument.

Evidence provided orally by a witness during testimony, often called "viva voce evidence".

Any written or printed document, including handwritten, typed, or electronically produced documents.

Physical evidence originating from a non-living source, such as fingerprints, footprints, tire tracks, or firearms.

Physical evidence originating from a living source, such as blood, hair, skin, or plant matter.

Traits that can be shared by multiple items or individuals, placing them within a broader category.

Traits that are unique to a specific item or individual, allowing for identification.

The process of collecting and preserving evidence at a crime scene to avoid contamination or destruction.

Evidence that points to the ultimate fact to be proven, but relies on speculation and logical inference.

Evidence that directly proves or disproves a fact without speculation, often based on personal knowledge or observation.

Evidence that allows identifying a single source with a high degree of certainty, such as DNA or fingerprints.

Evidence that shares characteristics with other items or individuals, placing them within a broader category, lacking unique identifiers.

Evidence that is physical or biological in nature, found at a crime scene or related to a crime.

Collecting evidence from crime scenes with body fluids in a liquid state involves placing a sterile swab or filter paper into the sample until fully saturated, air-drying, and preserving in a paper envelope or bag.

Collecting evidence from crime scenes with body fluids in a dry state involves cutting out or scraping the stain onto sterile filter paper, or moistening a swab with water followed by a dry one for swabbing the stain.

Preserving body fluids in airtight or warm environments can accelerate deterioration. Air-drying at room temperature, packaging loosely in paper evidence bags, and thorough documentation are crucial steps in evidence preservation.

The process where a forensic biologist analyzes biological materials, including extracting DNA from body fluids and analyzing it.

Confirmatory tests are used to confirm the type of body fluid, like blood or semen, before DNA analysis can be performed.

The Hemochromagen test is a confirmatory test for blood which produces no false positives.

After confirming a substance is blood, precipitin tests differentiate whether the blood is human or animal origin.

Microscopic examination for spermatozoa is the primary test for confirming seminal fluid. Staining techniques can assist in visualizing and differentiating sperm cells from other material.

The process of analyzing, comparing, evaluating, and verifying fingerprints to determine if they match a suspect's prints.

A computerized system that stores and compares fingerprints to find potential matches.

A conclusion reached when the fingerprint examiner determines that a suspect's print is not present at the crime scene.

A conclusion made when the fingerprint examiner cannot definitively determine if the suspect made the print.

A conclusion reached when the fingerprint examiner determines that the suspect definitively made the print.

The size of a bullet, typically measured in millimeters.

Marks left on a cartridge case by the part of the gun that strikes the primer to ignite the gunpowder.

The difference between center-fire and rim-fire ammunition is the location of the primer. Center-fire ammunition has a primer in the center of the base of the cartridge case, while rim-fire ammunition has a primer in the rim.

Marks left on a cartridge case by the extractor, which removes the spent cartridge from the chamber.

The questioning of a witness by the opposing lawyer.

The party who called the witness can re-examine them after cross-examination. This is to clarify the witness's testimony or to add additional information. However, this is limited and new material cannot be introduced.

A formal request to the judge to dismiss the case because the prosecution has not presented sufficient evidence to prove the defendant's guilt.

The prosecution must present all their evidence before the defense presents their own.

The defense attorney decides whether or not to cross-examine each witness. They may choose not to if they believe it would hurt their case or if they can glean useful information from the witness.