The Importance of Forensic Evidence
One of the most powerful parts of a case against a criminal can be the forensic evidence that is collected and presented. Dramatic breakthroughs in both the scientific and technological fields have greatly impacted the criminal justice system.
A recent crime wave has swept your city. Imagine you came home last night to find your home had been burglarized. Understandably, the police and crime lab are overworked and in need of help.
Physical evidence (meaning any materials at the scene of the crime that could be valuable to a criminal case) was collected by crime scene technicians at your residence and from a possible getaway car and is listed below.
You will need to complete the template provided below after considering the following information:
Choose three pieces of evidence collected from the link below to examine in detail.
Define the physical properties of the evidence collected. Also include any biological, chemical, or other characteristics of the data that would be important to the investigation.
Explain what information can be extrapolated from this evidence
Hypothesize how the evidence could be used in the investigation.
Review the evidence that was collected from the crime scene .
Note that although this is largely a hypothetical investigation, the description of a material and how it is tested will be factual and you will need to conduct research using the Library to identify reliable sources. The final results and importance of the evidence in an investigation will be up to your interpretation and will be largely hypothetical.
Review the link below for additional information.
National Forensic Science Technology Center. (2013). A simplified guide to forensic analysis.
National Institute of Justice. (n.d.) Forensic Science.
Analyze the evidence and the chemical properties of the material. Key properties such as color, density, chemical, or biological composition should be discussed.
Describe how thisevidence was correctly collect from the scene.
Necessary tests to be performed on this type of sample.
Hypothetical results recorded.
Apply the hypothetical results from the evidence collected to the investigation and include discussion about how the results could influence a decision in a trial setting.