Forensic Science Physical Evidence

The examination of physical evidence by a forensic scientist is usually undertaken for:

• Identification or comparison purposes

• Proving a suspect's guilt in the courtroom

• Proving a suspect's innocence in the courtroom

• Assisting law enforcement in the apprehension of an offender

True or False: physical evidence may not give a direct sequence of events for crime scene reconstruction, but is crucial for providing details regarding the crime.

• True

• False

How did the Forensic Files: Bad Blood episode tie into the Physical Evidence unit?

• It showed how physical evidence can influence a case, no matter how concrete or circumstantial

• It showed how class evidence can escalate into individual evidence

• It showed how improperly collected/analyzed physical evidence can jeopardize a case

• It showed how physical evidence can exonerate a suspect from a crime

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-3

Most items of physical evidence retrieved at crime scene:

• Can be definitively linked to a single person or object

• Can be used in court with little challenge to their scientific validity

• Can be manipulated by forensic scientists to "tell" the story they wish to tell

• Cannot be definitively linked to a single person or object

​ (a)   evidence is any small but measurable amounts of physical or biological material found at a crime scene.

• Trace

• Direct

• Indirect

• Locard's

The weight or significance of physical evidence in a courtroom is left to the ______ to determine.

• expert witnesses or criminalists who are testifying

• laboratory analysts who are interpreting the results of their tests

• the trier of facts, usually a jury of laypeople (amateurs)

• the prosecutor, who instructs the jury of how much weight to assign to a piece of evidence

True or False: Physical evidence is usually examined by a forensic scientist to determine the identity of the offender of the crime.

• True

• False

True or False: Technology surrounding the forensic sciences has evolved to the point that an examiner can assign approximate probability values to the comparison of most class physical evidence.

• True

• False

True or False: Generally speaking, the chance of an investigator finding physical evidence possessing individual characteristics is far greater than finding class physical evidence.

• True

• False

How did the Scott Peterson case tie into the Physical Evidence unit?

• It showed how physical evidence can influence a case, no matter how concrete or circumstantial

• It showed how class evidence can escalate into individual evidence

• It showed how improperly collected/analyzed physical evidence can jeopardize a case

• It showed how physical evidence can exonerate a suspect from a crime