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Handling of Charred Documents
- Found in fireplace: slide piece of heavy paper under charred paper and carefully place on a cushion of tissue in a rigid box.
- Ashtray: place ashtray in a moveable container so that it does not slide.
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Qualities of Exemplars
- Comparable
- Representative
- Adequate
- Non-dictate
- Victim
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3 Ways to Preserve Body Fluid Evidence
- Air dry
- Refrigerate up to a week
- Delivery to lab right away
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Basic Assumption of Question Documents
While we are all taught to write, we all have a unique and individual way of doing so.
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How to Determine Direction of Blood Spatter
Lead edge of disruption
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Why should you recover the tool as soon as possible?
So that it cannot be used again
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Factor considered in making handwriting comparisons
- Skill
- Height ratios
- Slant
- Size proportions
- Starting and ending strokes
- Paper
- Inks
- Spacing
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Indented Writing Submissions
- Pre-label container
- Label not to bend or fold
- Place inside file folder
- Packaged securely to prevent rubbing
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Drug Abuse
Any use of a drug to an extent that causes harm to individual or society
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Other Characteristics of a Fired Bullet
- Manufacturer
- Potential Firearm
- Bullet in Victim
- Bullet Fragment
- Blood on Bullet
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Evidence Handling: Firearm in Water
Package gun in same water it is found in
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Nuclear DNA
From both parents
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Blood Spatter: Passive
Falling, dripping
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Firearms: Lab Capabilities
- If cartridge has been worked through mechanism, extractor and ejector marks may be present.
- Cartridge case may have firing pin, breech face marks, chamber marks, extractor marks and ejector marks.
- Bullet characteristics.
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Bullets: Class Characteristics
- Caliber
- Number of lands and grooves
- Direction of twist
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Determination from a Toolmark
- Type of tool
- Size of tool
- Unusual features
- Action employed
- Is tool mark of value for identification/
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Handling of Intact Documents
- Pre-label evidence container to avoid having to mark packaging materials with document enclosed.
- Label not to bend, fold or stamp container.
- Soft tipped tweezers or gloves.
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How to package a shirt for evidence
- Slide cardboard between front and back
- One cardboard on top, one on bottom
- Fold sleeves over cardboard
- One more piece of board on top
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Firearm Examinations
- Proximity Testing
- Fracture Matching
- Speedometer Examinations
- Number Restoration
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Blood Spatter: Photography
- Overview photos
- Midrange photos to orient yourself to spatter
- Distribution photo with two large scales
- Close up photos of each stain with metric millimeter scale
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Swabbing Technique
Bring object with stain into lab, especially if two or more examinations are requested.
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Additional Toolmark Considerations
- Types of crimes
- Don't try to march up tool to impression, may cause damage
- Tool not allowed in court
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Schedule I Drugs
- High potential for abuse
- No accepted medical use in U.S.
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Cartridge Case
Left behind after projectile goes down range
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Obtaining Exemplars
- Study the document
- Don't show suspect the document
- Don't indicate how to spell or puncuate
- If suspect appears to be distinguished in their writing, you can speed up or slow down your diction.
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Blood Spatter: Projected
Cast off, expirated
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Bullets: Individual Characteristics
Microscopic stria that is imparted on the bullet as it passes through the barrel of a gun
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Handguns
- Auto-loading pistol
- Revolvers
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Drug Forms
- Crack cocaine vs. Powder
- LSD = Blotter acid
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Questioned Document
An object that contains handwriting or typewritten markings whose source or authenticity is in doubt
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Pharmacological Drug Classification
- Narcotics
- Depressants
- Stimulants
- Hallucinogens
- Cannabis
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Handling Torn Documents
- Do not attempt to piece document together
- Place all piece in envelope and submit
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Body Secretions
- Seminal Fluid
- Saliva (assumed)
- Vaginal Fluid (assumed)
- Urine
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Blood Spatter: Wipe
Blood onto non-bloody surface
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Shotshell
Complete ammunition component
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Shoulder Guns
- Shotgun - smooth bore
- Rifle - barrel with lands and grooves
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Questioned Documents: Other Considerations
- Fingerprints
- Ink Identification
- Alteration or obliteration of photography can be seen through UV light or infared
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Limitations of Questioned Documents Lab
- Cannot determine age, sex or race from handwriting.
- No conclusion may result when
- 1. Poor exemplars are obtained
- 2. Poor questioned document
- 3. Lack of standards that occur at the same time of document
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Schedule II Drugs
- High potential for abuse
- Has a currently accepted medical use in U.S. with severe restrictions
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How to determine point of origin of blood spatter
Impact spatter
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Clandestine Lab Dangers
Could have explosive materials that may cause fires or toxic fumes
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Blood Spatter: Swipe
Hand with movement onto bloody surface
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Cartridge
Complete component
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Blood Spatter: Transfer
Hand with no movement onto bloody surface
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Comparison of Questioned Documents
Direct means of identifying an individual and many variables must be taken into account in handwriting comparison
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How does blood spatter help investigation?
- Reconstruction
- Sample Site
- Statement
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How to conclude two writings were written by one person
There must be a combination of significant individual writing characteristics and an absence of unexplainable differences
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Toolmark
Impression, striated mark or combination of both
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Conclusions of comparison between tool and toolmark
- The tool made the mark
- The tool did not make the mark
- There are not sufficient corresponding individual characteristics between the tool and toolmark to make a determination
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Drug Recognition
- Visual description
- Field Test
- PDR (Physician Desk Reference)
- DON'T taste - lolol no really this is on the test
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Evidence Handling: Firearm
- Safely unload firearm after documenting the cylinder in revolvers or chamber/magazines in pistols.
- Package in rigid container
- Label container as loaded or unloaded
- When being submitted for DNA: Must be sealed with tape
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