Deck 7: Crime Scene Evidence and Experiments

Question 1

In cases involving seizures of large quantities of controlled substances, all the drugs seized must be tested to establish their identity.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Evidence that has been discolored or otherwise changed by laboratory tests is not admissible at trial.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

All items of real evidence are marked and reviewed by the judge prior to the start of the trial.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Identification based on blood typing is more accurate than DNA testing.

Question 5

Luminol is used to field test suspected drugs to determine if they contain cocaine.

Question 6

The results of an experiment are admissible at trial only if the person who conducted the experiment testifies.

Question 7

A ballistics expert is used exclusively to determine if a bullet was fired from a particular gun.

Question 8

Any scientific test can be challenged based on faulty test equipment.

Question 9

To use latent prints at trial, the prosecutor needs to call the person who recovered the prints and the person who identified them.

Question 10

The only thing a defense attorney can do to refute the results of scientific tests performed in government labs is to have the sample tested in an independent lab.

Question 11

Crime scene evidence is authenticated by the use of laboratory tests.

Question 12

Items that the police recover from the crime scene must be sealed in air-tight, tamper proof containers.

Question 13

A search warrant is required to obtain any real evidence from the defendant for testing.

Question 14

The "chain of custody" must be established before the prosecution can admit crime scene evidence at trial.

Question 15

Examination of a recovered bullet produces useful information only if the gun from which it was fired has been recovered.

Question 16

To be admissible, an experiment must be conducted under the same conditions as those that existed at the time of the crime (or event in question).

Question 17

In a case involving driving under the influence of alcohol, a blood test must be used to establish the blood alcohol level of the suspect.

Question 18

Familial DNA testing is used to establish paternity but is not admissible in criminal court.

Question 19

Analysis of drugs (controlled substances) accounts for the majority of scientific tests done in government crime labs.

Question 20

An attorney must lay the proper foundation prior to introducing any type of real evidence.

Question 21

When deciding which items to collect at the crime scene, an officer should consider:

A) space in evidence locker is limited, so only most important items should be retained.
B) it is much better to have many items in the evidence locker that are not used than to discover that something that is needed was not kept.
C) biological evidence should be photographed but not retained because it will degrade and contaminate the evidence locker.
D) All of the these factors should be considered when decided what evidence to collect.

Question 22

Real evidence includes:

A) physical items
B) documents
C) digital pictures
D) all of these are types of real evidence

Question 23

When a gun is referred to as a rifled firearm, it means:

A) it has a long barrel like a rifle.
B) it shoots ammunition specifically made for rifles.
C) its barrel has lands and groves.
D) all of these must be present for a weapon to be considered rifled

Question 24

Access to the crime scene should be restricted to as few people as possible because:

A) it prevents the media from erroneously reporting the facts.
B) it eliminates the chances of someone planting evidence.
C) it prevents people from removing evidence.
D) All of these are important reasons for limiting access to crime scene.

Question 25

Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, experiments:

A) must follow a rigid set of standards.
B) are treated the same as any other type of evidence.
C) not admissible in federal court.
D) are admissible if the person who conducted them qualifies as an expert witness.

Question 26

Crime scene sketches should:

A) be drawn to scale.
B) indicate all doors, windows, streets, etc. in the area.
C) show distance between all relevant objects in the drawing.
D) All of these should be in the sketch.

Question 27

If there is a question about the admissibility of a new type of scientific test at trial, the judge will:

A) hold a voir dire hearing.
B) hold a probable cause hearing.
C) admit the test results if the expert has a good reputation for honesty.
D) tell the jurors to infer the test is valid unless they have a reasonable doubt about its accuracy.

Question 28

At trial, the first step in laying the foundation for the introduction of a gun is to have someone:

A) identify the gun being introduced at trial and testify where it was found.
B) identify the gun being introduced at trial as the gun found in the possession of the defendant.
C) identify the gun being introduced at trial as the one the defendant used while committed the crime he/she is now charged with committing.
D) identify the gun and explain the results of tests they conducted on it.

Question 29

The purpose of an experiment is to:

A) determine what occurs under controlled conditions.
B) prove that an event can occur more than once.
C) produce evidence that will obscure the facts of the case.
D) All of these

Question 30

It is now easier to have latent prints examined than it was 60 years ago because:

A) we now have more people who specialize in print comparison.
B) we have a larger data base to search.
C) computers can assist with the comparison.
D) all of these are correct

Question 31

At trial, the results of the test can be successfully challenged:

A) if a new employee did it for the first time.
B) if the supervisor did not sign the report.
C) if the test equipment was defective.
D) all of these

Question 32

Which of the following has been subject to the most controversy regarding using DNA testing in criminal cases?

A) Challenges to the theoretical validity of "DNA fingerprint"
B) Contamination of the DNA sample at the crime scene
C) Contamination of the DNA in the laboratory
D) Calculations based on the current database

Question 33

Which type of firearm does not leave striations on projectiles?

A) Shotguns
B) Rifles
C) Machine guns
D) None of the above leave striations

Question 34

Which of the following DNA tests indicates that 2 people have a female ancestor in common?

A) Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
B) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Analysis
C) Mitochondrial DNA Analysis (mtDNA)
D) Y-Chromosome Analysis

Question 35

In order for the results of a test crash of two cars to be admissible in court:

A) the experiment must be conducted jointly by prosecution and defense experts.
B) speed, road conditions, weather, and other variables should be the same as they were in the case where the results of the test crash will be used.
C) both sides must stipulate in advance that the test will be admissible.
D) the vehicles must not violate any laws, including the Vehicle Code, when the test is conducted.

Question 36

When collecting evidence at the crime scene:

A) all items should be placed in the same type of package so that they can be easily identified in the evidence room.
B) the test that is likely to be run on each item should be considered so the item can be preserved appropriately.
C) all items should be placed in one large package so that all evidence of the crime stays together.
D) none of these

Question 37

The advantage of fingerprints compared to DNA testing is:

A) processing fingerprints can be done faster than DNA samples.
B) processing fingerprints is less expensive than DNA samples.
C) there is a much larger database available for comparison of fingerprints than for DNA.
D) All of these are true

Question 38

Two bullets fired from the same gun may not have similar striations because of:

A) rust in the barrel of the gun.
B) alternations in the barrel of the gun.
C) a cheap gun that has fired a large number of rounds, resulting in wear that changes the striations.
D) all of these can cause different striations

Question 39

Which of the following DNA tests can only be performed on men?

A) Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
B) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Analysis
C) Mitochondrial DNA Analysis (mtDNA)
D) Y-Chromosome Analysis

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT part of the foundation for the introduction of scientific evidence?

A) Was the item tested , collected and stored properly?
B) Is this a valid scientific test?
C) Was accurate equipment used for this test?
D) Was the test performed in an appropriate manner by a qualified person?

Question 41

The prosecution wants to introduce the following evidence in a rape case:
•Pubic hair recovered from the victim during "rape kit" exam
•DNA test results based on semen recovered from the victim during "rape kit" exam
•Testimony of a forensic psychologist that the defendant committed the crime The defense attorney wants to prevent the forensic psychologist from testifying. What should she do?

A) Object to the forensic psychologist's conclusions because no laboratory tests were conducted.
B) Object because the rape perpetrator profile that the forensic psychologist is using has not been recognized by any professional association of psychologists.
C) Object because the analysis done in this case was not recognized at the time of the Daubert decision.
D) The defense attorney needs to win all three of these objections in order to prevent the forensic psychologist from testifying.

Question 42

Explain the importance of scientific evidence in criminal trials.

Question 43

The prosecution wants to introduce the following evidence in a rape case:
•Pubic hair recovered from the victim during "rape kit" exam
•DNA test results based on semen recovered from the victim during "rape kit" exam
•Testimony of a forensic psychologist that the defendant committed the crime Which of the following questions will the prosecutor ask to lay the foundation for admission of the DNA test results?

A) What is the scientific basis for the test that was performed?
B) How often is the equipment used to conduct the test on the semen checked for accuracy?
C) Did the person who performed the test carefully follow the protocol for this type of test?
D) All of these questions must be asked as part of the foundation for admitting DNA tests.

Question 44

A police detective has just received a list of evidence collected at the scene of a murder which occurred in the victim's bedroom, which includes:
•Several blood samples were recovered from the area where the victim bled to death
•Bullets were recovered from the wall behind the victim's body
•Fingerprints found on a window that appeared to be the point of entry Would sending the bullets to a ballistics expert be a good idea?

A) Yes, test should be high priority because the ballistics examiner will be able to tell what model gun was used.
B) Yes, but it is not urgent because the ballistics expert cannot match the bullet until a gun has been recovered and test fired.
C) No, ballistics testing is only allowed if the gun was found at the crime scene.
D) No, because any usable evidence was destroyed when the bullet was lodged in the wall.

Question 45

A police detective has just received a list of evidence collected at the scene of a murder which occurred in the victim's bedroom, which includes:
•Several blood samples were recovered from the area where the victim bled to death
•Bullets were recovered from the wall behind the victim's body
•Fingerprints found on a window that appeared to be the point of entry Which of these would be the best way to start analyzing the blood?

A) DNA testing because it is the most accurate.
B) DNA because the sample will deteriorate if not tested immediately.
C) ABO blood test because it can be done quickly and can be used to eliminate suspects.
D) Blood alcohol tests because the alcohol is rapidly absorbed into circulatory system.

Question 46

Explain what needs to be done at the crime scene so that the evidence that is collected will be admissible in court.

Question 47

A police detective has just received a list of evidence collected at the scene of a murder which occurred in the victim's bedroom, which includes:
•Several blood samples were recovered from the area where the victim bled to death
•Bullets were recovered from the wall behind the victim's body
•Fingerprints found on a window that appeared to be the point of entry The detective wants to conduct an experiment to see if it was possible that the window was already open and the shots were fired by a person hiding in the bushes across the street. What should be done to make sure the experiment will be admissible in court?

A) Request a court order allowing the police to conduct the experiment.
B) The defense attorney must be given the opportunity to be present when the experiment is performed.
C) The conditions present when the crime occurred must be accurately replicated including distances from the house and weather conditions.
D) All of these must be done in order to make the results of the experiment admissible in court.

Question 48

A police detective has just received a list of evidence collected at the scene of a murder which occurred in the victim's bedroom, which includes:
•Several blood samples were recovered from the area where the victim bled to death
•Bullets were recovered from the wall behind the victim's body
•Fingerprints found on a window that appeared to be the point of entry Will asking a fingerprint expert to go to the crime scene the day after the murder be a good idea?

A) Yes, latent fingerprints can be recovered from the window.
B) Yes, testimony about latent prints will be admissible only if the fingerprint expert was present when the latent prints were lifted from the glass.
C) No, traditional methods of obtaining latent prints do not work on hard, nonabsorbent surfaces such as windows.
D) No, DNA identification procedures have replaced fingerprint identification.

Question 49

What must be done to lay the foundation for the admission of scientific evidence at trial?

Question 50

Officer Green has been dispatched to a hotel that is the scene of a shooting. He sees the following items with potential evidentiary value scattered about the scene:
•6 shell casings that are scattered around the room
•A dirty towel on the floor near the bullets What should Officer Green do with the shell casings?

A) Place the shell casings in an evidence envelope and send it directly to the crime lab.
B) Carefully examine each casing and place those with extractor markings in an evidence envelope but discard the rest.
C) Carefully mark each shell casing and place it in a separate evidence envelope.
D) Take close-up photographs of each shell casing without moving it and then place it in a hazardous waste container.

Question 51

The prosecution wants to introduce the following evidence in a rape case:
•Pubic hair recovered from the victim during "rape kit" exam
•DNA test results based on semen recovered from the victim during "rape kit" exam
•Testimony of a forensic psychologist that the defendant committed the crime How can the prosecution authenticate the pubic hair recovered during the "rape kit" exam?

A) Have an expert in hair identification testify about the unique characteristics only found in pubic hair.
B) Have an expert testify about mtDNA tests performed on the pubic hair.
C) Have the person who performed the "rape kit" exam of the victim testify about retrieving the hair and placing it in the evidence envelope.
D) Testimony from all of these individuals is necessary to authenticate the pubic hair.

Question 52

A defense attorney wants to do an experiment for use in court. The experiment is designed to show that eye witness identification of a person in a crowd is not reliable. What must the defense attorney do so that the judge will accept the results of this test at trial? Explain.

Question 53

Officer Green has been dispatched to a hotel that is the scene of a shooting. He sees the following items with potential evidentiary value scattered about the scene:
•6 shell casings that are scattered around the room
•A dirty towel on the floor near the bullets Officer Green used a magnifying glass but has not been able to determine what is on the towel. He should:

A) package the towel as evidence.
B) take the towel to a location with better light and examine it more closely.
C) return the towel to hotel management if the towel belongs to the hotel.
D) tell the cleaning crew to discard the towel if no one claims it.

Question 54

List three commonly accepted scientific tests and explain what needs to be done before trial so the results of the tests will be admissible.

Question 55

Officer Green has been dispatched to a hotel that is the scene of a shooting. He sees the following items with potential evidentiary value scattered about the scene:
•6 shell casings that are scattered around the room
•A dirty towel on the floor near the bullets What should Officer Green do first?

A) Place each item of evidence in a plastic evidence bag.
B) Cordon off the crime scene and restrict access to area.
C) Photograph and diagram the crime scene.
D) Call housekeeping for assistance.