Following a chain of custody is key for the prosecution of a criminal case. Improper documentation of evidence in custody can lead to the evidence not being admissible in court. Create a mini case involving two pieces of evidence that are collected from a crime scene and maintained through a criminal case. The case should contain a minimum of two movements of each piece of evidence and how the chain of custody was maintained during those movements.
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: A simpler example is contained on page 245 of the text book. Items to consider while grading include: Chain of custody refers to the sequential documentation of evidence that shows the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence. A specific person must always have the physical custody of a piece of evidence. Documentation should include the conditions under which the evidence is collected, the identity of all persons handling the evidence, the duration of evidence custody, the conditions under which the evidence has been secured, and the manner in which evidence is transferred to a designated evidence custodian each time a transfer occurs. Typically, signatures of persons involved at each step are required for proof of their role in the "chain." The chain of custody requires that from the moment the evidence is collected, every transfer of evidence from one person to another be documented and that it be provable that nobody else could have accessed that evidence.
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a. Amoral calculators b. Political citizens c. Organizationally incompetent d. Task-oriented
The process by which terror group members are asked to take on a new personal identity both internally (such as values and beliefs) and externally (such as manner of dress), is called
a. dehumanization b. demonization c. cognitive restructuring d. self-deindividuation
The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the defense of ___________ to a charge of escape if a prisoner can demonstrate that because of an imminent threat of harm, escape was the only reasonable alternative and the prisoner made a bona fide effort to
surrender or return to custody. Fill in the blank(s) with correct word.
According to Cole and Smith, why have judges banned cell phones from jury members during trials?
a. Excessive ringing was disturbing the trials. b. Jurors were not paying close enough attention to the trial. c. To keep jurors from doing their own research on the case. d. Jurors in some cases were taking pictures of defendants. e. The judge is not allowed to have a phone in court, so no one else can have a phone.