Q&A Hero

Q: In collecting hair samples, attempt to obtain 25 to 50 full hairs from the appropriate part of the suspect's body for ____________ purposes.

Q: For laboratories to process DNA evidence, the evidence must be ____________ that is, tending to prove guilt or innocence.

Q: Fingerprints are clear and ____________ evidence of a person's identity.

Q: The small lines on the palm side at the end of every human finger, which provide just enough roughness to help fingers retain objects, are known as __________ ridges.

Q: When collecting evidence, take extreme care to prevent different pieces of evidence from touching each other, which can lead to ____________ contamination.

Q: A ____________ of comparison is an object, measure or model with which evidence is compared to determine whether both came from the same source.

Q: To determine what is evidence, first consider the apparent ____________.

Q: The largest failure in gathering evidence is not the equipment available, but the lack of ___________ in using it effectively.

Q: A tool ____________ is an impression left by a tool on a surface.

Q: The type of evidence that links a suspect with a crime and is often found in fingerprints, footprints, bloodstains, hairs and fibers is called ____________ evidence.

Q: Evidence must be legally disposed of to prevent major storage problems.

Q: Investigators have used lip prints and lip impressions to solve cases.

Q: DNA is extremely durable and generally unaffected by heat, sunlight, moisture, bacteria or mold.

Q: Latent prints have been collected from human skin.

Q: Hairs are far more distinguishable than fibers.

Q: Locard's exchange principle basically states that a criminal always removes something from the crime scene or leaves behind incriminating evidence.

Q: Typewritten materials are untraceable and, therefore, impossible to link with a suspect.

Q: Blood can be identified as animal or human.

Q: Investigators should powder and lift every fingerprint they discover.

Q: Fingerprints are a type of evidence that requires a standard of comparison.

Q: Deoxyribonucleic acid is used to compare sequences of nucleotides.

Q: It does not matter what color of fingerprint powder you use when dusting for prints.

Q: Evidence may be placed in any type of container, as long as it does not touch other evidence.

Q: Automating evidence storage can prevent many problems.

Q: Before, during and after its examination, evidence must be securely protected and properly stored. However, once it is ready for court, there are no issues regarding how it is stored.

Q: To simplify testimony in court, it is practical to have one officer collect the item of evidence and another take notes.

Q: Probability serves no purpose in evidence; the lab must determine whether or not the evidence exactly matches the standard of comparison.

Q: During the search of a crime scene, it is generally easy to tell which items are evidence; the primary difficulty is in collecting the items.

Q: Having equipment available for evidence processing is important, but having been trained in the use of the equipment is more important.

Q: A mobile crime lab is a commercially customized van that provides compartments to hold equipment and countertops for processing evidence.

Q: Evidence disposal can occur a. continuously. b. annually. c. on a special date. d. all of these choices.

Q: This method is notrecommended for developing latent fingerprints on unpainted wood, paper, cardboard or other absorbent surfaces. a. iodine fuming b. ninhydrin method c. powders d. thermal nitrate

Q: What type of evidence has been properly collected, identified, filed and continuously secured? a. relevant b. competent c. material d. exculpatory

Q: What type of evidenceforms a substantive part of the case or has a legitimate and effective influence on the decision of the case? a. circumstantial b. material c. exculpatory d. in flagrante delicto

Q: What evidence can indicate whether a person is running, lost or carrying something heavy? a. fingerprints b. DNA c. footprints d. blood spatter

Q: Laboratory examination of ___________ under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is still considered a reliable analysis method, although enhancements in technology have been necessary. a. gunshot residue (GSR) b. DNA c. fingerprints d. retinal scans

Q: A way of folding paper so that evidence does not fall out is referred as a a. drug hold. b. druggist fold. c. dime bag. d. doper bag.

Q: When evidence is no longer needed, it is a. auctioned off. b. destroyed. c. returned to the owner. d. any of these may be appropriate.

Q: A genetic fingerprint is obtained from a suspect's a. finger. b. DNA. c. hair. d. eye color.

Q: The most frequently located type of microscopic evidence is a. skin cells. b. hair. c. saliva droplets. d. fibers.

Q: Hair analysis can reveal all but which of the following? a. which part of the body the hair came from b. the presence of drugs or poisons and consumer chemicals c. age and gender d. blood-type group

Q: DNA profiling can be done using a. blood only. b. fingerprints only. c. skin or hair cells only. d. cells from almost any part of the body.

Q: The size and shape of chips and wear patterns in the blade of a screwdriver are ___________ characteristics. a. individual b. group c. class d. none of these choices

Q: Integrity of evidence refers to the requirement that any item introduced in court must be in the same condition as when it was found at the crime scene. This is documented by the chain of evidence, also referred to as the a. missing link. b. chain of custody. c. chain of truth. d. all of these choices.

Q: In the examination of objects of physical evidence, class characteristics are important because theycan a. place an item into a specific category. b. distinguish one item from another. c. be used to trace the item to its manufacturer. d. define how the object was used by an individual.

Q: Fingerprints can indicate a. age. b. race. c. gender. d. none of these choices.

Q: The types of prints taken of persons with reason to be at the crime scene location are referred to as __________ fingerprints. a. illusionary b. expectoratory c. elimination d. illuminating

Q: The number one mistake officers make in processing fingerprints with powders is a. over-processing fingerprints. b. misidentifying fingerprints. c. sneezing and destroying the print. d. selecting the wrong powder.

Q: DNA testing is expensive and takes a lot of time. Because of this, laboratories require that a. samples be submitted for both the suspect and the victim. b. sufficient material be collected. c. the evidence be probative. d. all of these choices.

Q: AFIS stands for a. Automated Fingerprint Issuing Society. b. automatic fingerprint intake system. c. automatic fiber identification system. d. automated fingerprint identification system.

Q: Powders, Magnabrush techniques, laser technology, gelatin lifters and cyanoacrylate are all used to process what type of evidence? a. petechiae b. adipocre c. fingerprints d. cadavers

Q: This type of fingerprint, which is not readily visible, consists of impressions of the ridges of the fingers, transferred to other surfaces by sweat on the ridges of the fingers or because the fingers carry residue of oil, blood, dirt or another substance. These prints are referred to as a. ten-print fingerprints. b. latent prints. c. ID-match prints. d. comparison prints.

Q: Which term refers to the spiral pattern cut down the length of a firearm's barrel? a. rifling b. bore c. lands d. caliber markings

Q: When evidence is collected, an officer should record in his or her notes the a. time the item was found and the disposition. b. time and date the item was found. c. time, date and location the item was found. d. time, date and location the item was found; the individual who found it; the case number; a description of the item; and who took it into custody.

Q: Ultraviolet light is good for finding a. trace evidence such as semen or fibers. b. bullet trajectories. c. paint or glass. d. tire tracks.

Q: Interior searches go from the general to the specific, usually in a circular pattern, covering all surfaces of a search area.

Q: Dogs cannot be trained to search for explosives.

Q: The search of a vehicle does not require probable cause because vehicles are mobile.

Q: In California v. Greenwood, the Supreme Court ruled that a. searches of homes are illegal. b. searches of cars are legal if part of an inventory. c. the curtilage rule applies to all evidence. d. containers left on public property are open to search by police without a warrant.

Q: Physical evidence is a. blood-spattered. b. on a person. c. anything material and relevant. d. easily obtainable.

Q: In United States v. Leon, the court established that illegally obtained evidence may be admissible if the police were truly not aware they were violating a suspect's Fourth Amendment rights. In this case, the police were following up on a tip from an unreliable informant, which later invalidated the warrant. This exception is called the a. sidewalk exception. b. good-faith doctrine. c. public safety exception. d. just-in-time exception.

Q: Hopefully, a well-organized, thorough and proper organization of a crime scene search will result in a. a meticulous search with no accidental destruction of evidence. b. generating ideas about who might be a suspect. c. ignoring some evidence that may have been found by accident. d. identifying the motive.

Q: In Nix v. Williams, the Court said that if illegally obtained evidence (a statement, in this case, which led to a little girl's body) would, in all likelihood, eventually have been discovered legally (for example, by a large search party), it may be used. This is referred to as what exception to the exclusionary rule? a. the inevitable-discovery doctrine b. the plain-view rule c. the public safety rule d. the eyes-on rule

Q: Which rule said that courts would not accept evidence obtained by unreasonable search and seizure? a. silver-platter rule b. exclusionary rule c. roots-of-the-tree rule d. rule of thumb

Q: The most important limitation on searches is that they must be a. expedient in scope. c. broad in scope. b. narrow in scope. d. prearranged by warrant.

Q: The courts have ruled that when police take custody of a vehicle or other property, the police a. may not inventory the property without a court order. b. may not inventory the property without probable cause. c. may inventory the property. d. may search the property regardless of circumstances.

Q: Wyoming v. Houghton (1999) held that an officer may search an automobile passenger's belongings simply because the officer suspects the driver has done something wrong. This ruling, which was intended to prevent drivers from claiming that illegal drugs or other contraband belongs to passengers rather than themselves, is referred to as the a. jump-seat exception. b. passenger patdown. c. passenger property exception. d. shotgun-seat exception.

Q: Mincey v. Arizona established that a. officers may always search the premises when the search is associated with an arrest. b. while officers are on the premises pursuing their legitimate emergency activities, any evidence in plain view may be seized. c. searching a location where there are illegal drugs is legal without a search warrant, owing to special federal antidrug legislation. d. officers may not seize evidence they find in plain view while pursuing emergency activities.

Q: The Carroll decision established that with probable cause, a. automobiles may not be searched unless consent is given. b. houses may be searched if the person was arrested in the house. c. individuals associated with an arrested person may be searched. d. automobiles may be searched based on their obvious mobility.

Q: Emergency circumstances (such as fire or officers hearing shots fired or screams) that allow officers to enter a home without a warrant are referred to as a. no-knock entries. b. high-risk entries. c. exigent circumstances. d. warrantless emergencies.

Q: The Chimel decision established that a search incidental to a lawful arrest must be made simultaneously with the arrest. A search incidental to arrest must be confined to a. the arrested person's body. b. the arrested person's body and car. c. the area within the suspect's immediate control. d. the general area.

Q: Every lawful arrest is accompanied by a search of the arrested person. This is referred to as a. search of the person. b. search incident to arrest. c. search upon complaint. d. search with consent.

Q: Terry v. Ohio supported officers' right to a. question suspects with an attorney present. b. conduct a patdown or a frisk if they believe the person might be armed and dangerous. c. conduct a full-body cavity search of an individual who is not in custody. d. search vehicles upon probable cause to do so.

Q: Consent to search is valid only if given a. under duress. b. by a person who is not in control of the property. c. voluntarily. d. unknowingly.

Q: A search conducted with a warrant must be limited to a. only the specific room in the house. b. cars that are present on the property. c. only the specific area and items named in the warrant. d. only those items within the arm's-length rule.

Q: A judge may issue a search warrant if which of the following items are being sought by an officer? a. stolen or embezzled property b. property that is designed for noncriminal activity c. evidence that demonstrates a person is continuing criminal activity while on probation d. personal drug usage of medicinal marijuana

Q: A way to determine if probable cause exists today is which test? a. plain-view doctrine b. totality-of-the-circumstances test c. voice stress test d. truth-in-evidence test

Q: In which of the following cases is a searchnot legal? a. The search is incidental to a lawful arrest. b. An officer stops a suspicious person and believes the person to be armed. c. An emergency exists. d. An officer conducts a search of a motorist for a driving infraction.

Q: The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids what type of searches and seizures? a. illegal b. unsupervised c. unreasonable d. undercover

Q: Which of the following do investigators not need to know in order to conduct an effective search? a. the legal requirements for searching b. the identity of the offender c. the elements of the crime being investigated d. the items being searched for