Evidence

Evidence Links a person suspected of committing a criminal offense What is the role of evidence in a court of law? Evidence does one of two things: Links a person suspected of committing a criminal offense to a crime scene. “Sir, why is the victim’s blood on your clothes?” Obviously this person has some explaining to do. Corroborate (confirm) one’s testimony and exonerating (free from blame) a suspect of committing a criminal offense.

Evidence presented to a jury. In a court of law there are two types of evidence which can be presented to a jury. Testimonial Evidence Physical Evidence

Evidence is eyewitness accounts of events. It can Testimonial Evidence (also called direct evidence) is eyewitness accounts of events. It can come in a written or spoken form. Cons Pros Juries are impressed when a story is told to them by another human being. One’s memory can be faulty. The time between an eyewitness seeing an event and a trial may be several months or even years. “I saw the defendant entering the crime scene prior to the murder”

Evidence is something which has size, shape, and Physical Evidence (also called real evidence) is something which has size, shape, and dimension (an object). As the definition would imply it can be collected and analyzed. It is impossible to list all types of physical evidence which could be encountered at a crime scene, however here are some which we will look at throughout this course:

Evidence Blood, Semen, and Saliva. All suspected blood, semen, and saliva present in a form to suggest a relation to the offense or persons involved in a crime. Documents. Any handwriting submitted so that source or authenticity can be determined. Fibers. Any fiber whose transfer may be helpful in establishing a relationship between objects and/or persons. Hair. Any human or animal hair present which may link a person with a crime. Impressions. Tire markings, shoe prints, handprints, etc.

Evidence Fingerprints. All prints have a physical nature. Firearms and Ammunition. Any firearm, as well as discharged or intact ammunition, suspected of being used in a criminal offense. Tool Marks. Any object suspected of containing the impression of another object that served as a tool in a crime. Explosives. Any device containing an explosive charge, as well as objects that are removed from a crime scene containing residue of the explosive..

Evidence Types of Physical Evidence Individual evidence: Evidence which points to a unique individual with extremely high precision and probability Examples: Fingerprints Bullet Striations Shoe Impressions DNA Maggots AND…. MANY… MANY… MORE

Evidence Types of Physical Evidence Class evidence: Evidence that can be associated only with a group and never with a single source. Examples: Dexter’s hair color. Dexter’s eye color. Dexter’s skin color. Dexter’s cotton shirt. Someone else’s blood on Dexter?

Evidence Class or Individual Evidence? Denim Jeans? Class Broken glass which can be pieced together? Individual .45 Caliber Ammunition (unspent)? Class .45 Caliber shell casing (spent)? Individual

Evidence Testimonial Physical Individual Class Terms used to describe the significance of evidence Indirect Evidence: Does not prove a fact Circumstantial Evidence: Like class evidence, it implies a fact without proof. Ex: Blonde, size 11, white car. The more circumstantial evidence, the stronger the argument