Deck 8: The Crime Laboratory

Question 1

What organization is the primary credentialing organization for crime labs?

A) American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD).
B) American Crime Laboratory Accreditation Society (ACLAS).
C) Commission on Crime Laboratory Accreditation (CCLA).
D) North American Crime Laboratory Association (NACLA).

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The unit of the FBI laboratory which conducts examinations of soils and safe insulation,concrete,plaster,mortar,glass,oil,and other abrasives is the

A) documents Units.
B) metallurgy Unit.
C) firearms Unit.
D) mineralogy Unit.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Mitochondrial DNA is found in

A) Rhesus monkeys.
B) the body of the cell.
C) females who have recently given birth.
D) blood.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Problems identified in crime labs in the United States involve all of the following except

A) lack of training.
B) thorough accreditation.
C) DNA contamination.
D) backlog of cases.

Question 5

CODIS is

A) a computer system linking local, state, and federal agencies to share DNA analysis information.
B) a computer system of the ATF allowing identification of bullets and shell casings.
C) a computer system of the FBI allowing identification of bullets and shell casings.
D) the computer system supporting the Human Genome Program.

Question 6

The effectiveness of crime laboratory services can be measured in terms of

A) quality, proximity, and timeliness.
B) proximity, timeliness, and quantity.
C) timeliness, quantity, and quality.
D) leads, arrests, and convictions.

Question 7

A technical manual that includes validation studies performed by the lab itself and sets forth standardized methodologies for performing routine tests in the laboratory is the

A) standard operating procedure.
B) procedures manual.
C) lab testing protocol.
D) Daubert certification rule.

Question 8

Forensic science is defined as

A) the study of physical evidence related to a crime.
B) that part of science applied to answering legal questions.
C) a reconstruction of crimes.
D) science in action.

Question 9

While formal education that scientists receive provides a foundation for learning and understanding the techniques of forensic science,for the most part,courts rely on

A) additional training.
B) years of experience.
C) mentoring by the courts.
D) both A and B.

Question 10

Which of the following terms deal with the study of physical evidence related to crime?

A) Criminology.
B) Criminal justice.
C) Practitioners.
D) Criminalistics.

Question 11

Since 1999 law enforcement agencies have begun to access the FBI's new national on-line fingerprint and criminal history databases called

A) AFIS.
B) NOLFS.
C) IAFS.
D) IAFIS.

Question 12

DNA evidence can

A) identify criminals with amazing accuracy when biological evidence exists.
B) be used to clear suspects.
C) exonerate persons who have been mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.
D) all of the preceding are correct.

Question 13

The NIBIN program compares images of which type of evidence?

A) Blood-alcohol related
B) Blood-related
C) Ballistic
D) Identification

Question 14

A crime laboratory can help in answering which of the following questions?

A) Whether a crime has been committed.
B) Who committed the crime?
C) Who could not have committed the crime?
D) All of the preceding are correct.

Question 15

Which of the following,for laboratory purposes,is not a category of examinations crime laboratories perform?

A) Chemical examinations.
B) Physical examinations.
C) Documentary examinations.
D) Videography examinations.

Question 16

The National Forensic Science Technology Center was established in 1995.Its primary function(s)is/are

A) to help crime laboratories prepare for accreditation.
B) to improve the techniques of decoding DNA evidence.
C) to offer continuing education programs for crime laboratory personnel.
D) both A and C are correct.

Question 17

The Daubert case stands for the proposition that for scientific evidence to be admissible in court,it must be

A) generally acceptable in the scientific community.
B) proven beyond any doubt.
C) scientifically valid.
D) published.

Question 18

The FBI Crime Laboratory is one of the largest and most comprehensive forensic laboratories and is the only full-service forensic laboratory.When was it established?

A) 1873.
B) 1932.
C) 1979.
D) 2002.

Question 19

Which of the following statements concerning national files housed in the FBI Crime Laboratory is true?

A) The laboratory is able to determine makes but not models of automobiles involved in hit-and-run cases by analyzing and comparing small fragments of paint.
B) Hairs recovered during investigations can be identified only as to whether the source was human or animal.
C) The manufacturer of a particular piece of paper can be identified.
D) The use of files requires that a legal precedent to do so exists.

Question 20

The effectiveness of DNA evidence in court depends on

A) the ability of the witness to explain the probability that no other person, except an identical twin has the same DNA type as that discovered at the crime scene.
B) the quality of the evidence analysis that was performed in the crime lab.
C) the qualifications of the crime lab and the crime lab personnel.
D) the jurisdiction, the lab technician, and the quality of the equipment used in the analysis.

Question 21

Which of the following is not a requirement of the ethics codes as required by the code of ethics for forensic science?

A) Integrity.
B) Competence.
C) Trustworthiness.
D) Training.

Question 22

The ________,founded in 1992,is a nonprofit legal organization founded for the purpose of exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing.

Question 23

Public crime laboratories are overwhelmed by backlogs of DNA samples.Which of the following is/are problems that may be associated with this backlog?

A) Increasing amounts of new DNA evidence.
B) Lack of storage space for DNA samples.
C) Limited resources.
D) All of the preceding are problems that may be associated with this backlog.

Question 24

Frye v.United States (1923)ruled that the results of a "deception test," an early version of the polygraph could be used in court if the operator personally testified to the veracity of the results.

Question 25

DNA evidence was first used in court in a trial in England in 1985.

Question 26

The ________ is used in the national,state,and local index-system networks to link typing results from unresolved crimes with cases in multiple jurisdictions or persons convicted of offenses specified in the data-banking laws passed by local jurisdictions.

Question 27

What has been identified as the most significant blunder to date in any crime lab within the United States?

A) The March 2004 arrest of Portland attorney Brandon Mayfield for the Madrid bombing.
B) The failure to identify the 9/11 hijackers prior to their attack on the United States.
C) The mis-identification or non-identification of victims from the bombings in New York City.
D) None of the preceding are failures.

Question 28

Collecting DNA evidence requires special consideration.Among these considerations,for long-term storage,keep biological evidence in a refrigerator with the temperature between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Question 29

Contamination is a big issue in the collection and packaging of evidence containing DNA.Coughing or sneezing while handling DNA evidence can cause contamination.

Question 30

In a recent case,the Supreme Court concluded that latent fingerprint identification evidence as produced by the FBI's procedures met the requirements for admissibility established by Dauber v.Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals,Inc.What was the name of the case?

A) Robinette v. Michigan.
B) United States v. Mitchell.
C) United States v. Mahoney.
D) Carroll v. United States.

Question 31

The terms "forensic science" and "Criminalistics" are often used together.Forensic science is that part of science applied to answering legal questions whereas Criminalistics deals with the study of physical evidence related to a crime.

Question 32

A ________ search is conducted when a DNA sample collected from a crime does not match any of the samples in the data base.

Question 33

Measures of crime laboratory effectiveness are quality,quantity,and timeliness.

Question 34

Mitochondrial DNA is found in the mitochondria,which are only in the body of a female who has given birth to a child.

Question 35

Daubert v.Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals,Inc.applies only to federal courts even though some states have adopted the Daubert Standard.

Question 36

There are three primary purposes of a digital crime lab.They are to examine and collect relevant digital evidence and secure evidence that directly involve computer crimes such as money laundering,possessing child pornography,embezzlement,fraud,and identity theft and to prevent and investigate terrorist plots.

Question 37

A national online fingerprint and criminal-history database with identification and response capabilities,________ consists of three integrated segments: the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS),the Interstate Identification Index (III),and the Identification Tasking and Networking (ITN).

Question 38

As a joint program of the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and Firearms (ATF),and the FBI,the ________ integrates all the elements of Ceasefire and Brasscatcher (both former ATF programs and Drugfire (an FBI program).

Question 39

A morgue is another crime lab that is critical on the forensic scene as it is the place where the cause of death is determined.

Question 40

Which of the following organizations have established a code of ethics for forensic science?

A) The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.
B) The American Board of Criminalistics.
C) The Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners.
D) All of the preceding have codes of ethics.

Question 41

What difficulties are caused by an investigator not understanding the capabilities and limitations of crime laboratories?

Question 42

In a recent case,________ v.________,the court concluded that latent fingerprint identification evidence,as produced by the FBI's procedures,met the requirements of admissibility established by Daubert v.Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals,Inc.

Question 43

Distinguish the Frye test from the Daubert test regarding the admissibility of scientific evidence.

Question 44

When body fluids are submitted to a laboratory for analysis,how are the specimens handled in light of concerns about the transmittal of hepatitis and AIDS?

Question 45

Describe NIBIN,IAFIS,and CODIS.

Question 46

Describe AFIS.

Question 47

The ________ unit of the FBI laboratory is called on to restore obliterated or altered numbers on such things as firearms,sewing machines,outboard motors,etc.

Question 48

The ________ Crime Laboratory is one of the largest and most comprehensive forensic laboratories and is the only full service forensic laboratory.

Question 49

Define "forensic science" and "Criminalistics."

Question 50

In addition to problems with backlogs of cases at crime labs,both state and local labs reported that their main concern for their DNA programs was the ________.

Question 51

What are the primary DNA Analysis techniques used since 1985?

Question 52

What limitations are placed on the submission of evidence to the FBI laboratory?

Question 53

The FBI's ________ contains over 3,500 handguns and 2,000 shoulder weapons and is used for identifying gun parts and locating serial numbers.

Question 54

Describe the measures of effectiveness of crime laboratories.

Question 55

Describe the role and importance of DNA analysis in criminal investigation.