Exam 8: Documentary Evidence, Models, Maps, and Diagrams

A notarized document is self-authenticating if:

The ancient documents rule is only used when there are no official records regarding the event in question.

Statements made by eye witnesses recorded in a report made by a police officer who was dispatched to the scene of a crime are admissible in court under the Public Records Exception to the Hearsay Rule.

Computer-generated animation is admissible in court only if it is based on photographs of the scene in question.

Do models and diagrams need to be made to scale in order to be admissible at trial Explain.

In legal documents, the term "writing" refers to:

The prosecution wants to introduce evidence that the promissory note was altered.

In most cases, a three-dimensional model of the crime scene:

List three types of documents that are self-authenticating.Explain what must be done to authenticate documents that are not self-authenticating.

The "original" is the document itself and any copies the person making the document intended to have the same effect as the original.

What can the forensics document examiner tell from the paper and ink that might indicate forgery

The comparison of typed documents is more accurate today than it has been in the past.

A document is authenticated by establishing that all of the facts stated in the document are true and accurate.

All documents must be authenticated except those with the seal of a notary or a government agency.

When an investigator finds a computer while serving a search warrant, the computer should be turned on and an inventory made of all files on the computer's hard drive.

Testimony of a person who was present when a document was prepared would be admissible at trial if the document was destroyed by accident.

Who must be called to testify in order to introduce a report at trial under the Business Records Exception to the Hearsay Rule

If lay witnesses authenticate a handwritten document, the opposing side will NOT be allowed to call a forensic document examiner to establish that the document is a forgery.

Which of the following qualify for the Business Records Exception to the Hearsay Rule

A forensic document examiner bases his/her conclusions regarding handwritten documents solely on the shapes of the letters.