Forensic Science Lecture 2: The Report Donald J. Ross, M.D.

Lecture 2: The Report The importance of The Report Return to Office, Precinct or Head Quarters Have to do the paperwork Everything you write can become evidence in the courtroom Defendant’s attorney will look for anything he can to help his client

General Rules Just write what you see You can do everything by the book writing a perfect report and the defendant’s attorney may still find something Always write “alleged” “alleged murderer”, never “I was called to the scene of a murder at 10:15 by Det”.

Keep things simple At 03:15 am on June 25th 2014 the dispatcher from Holidale Township informed the Crime Scene unit of a deceased male at Motel 6, Rt. 22, Holidale NY, 10014. Officer Jones arrived on scene at 03:45 hours. A deceased unidentified white male was found lying on his left side between the two beds. There was no signs of forced entry.

Keep things simple 2 Mostly you want to say what is NOT there. No evidence of narcotics or narcotics paraphernalia Try to give the reader a simple idea of the location. Home was in squalid condition with signs of insects and mouse droppings. (statements like this gives the reader a good picture of the scene)

Keep things simple 3 Don’t write “home appeared to be a meth lab” Instead write things like “windows were painted black from the inside” “laboratory equipment, glassware and scales were present in the room”

Write what you see

Det. Jenny Case: How an attorney can twist facts Husband and wife Wife NJT bus driver Nightshift Husband rides bus to keep her company One night robbery occurs Husband is killed as the robber entered the rear of the bus with a shotgun

Det. Jenny Problem: Who would rob a NJT bus, which has little or no cash? Why at night and with a shotgun? Wife had a boyfriend Owned a shotgun that went missing Was found by Det. Jenny Cut into three pieces and had been cleaned

Det. Jenny The cleaning was professional Boyfriend worked at a machine shop Det. Jenny found, by examining all the records, the defendant had requested a special metal cutting blade one day. On that same day he was seen carrying into the shop a long box. The gun was sent to the FBI crime lab

Det. Jenny Det. Kenny could not find any prints on external exam In the gun butt was found a receipt The husband and wife also owned a cabin Det. Jenny went there with a search warrant He found film canisters and developed hundreds of photographs Courtroom

Courtroom reasonable doubt Defense Attorney asks the following questions “Det. Jenny did you search the cabin?” Det. Jenny responds “Yes” in court you can only answer “yes” or “no” “Det. Jenny did you find film canisters there?” Det. Jenny responds “Yes” “Det. Jenny did you develop those pictures?” Det. Jenny was there an unknown naked female photographed in the cabin? “Yes”

Courtroom reasonable doubt The defense attorney knew just how to ask this question which would confuse the jury, create doubt and imply this naked female could have been romantically involved with the husband Fortunately the Prosecutor had reviewed every photograph and quickly realized the clever ploy of the defense attorney

Courtroom Cont. Prosecutor “Det. Jenny what was the age of that female” Det. Jenny “about six months of age” Defense attorneys can be very clever