Forensic Science: Types of Evidence

1.generally more reliable can prove that a crime has been committed can corroborate or refute testimony

can link a suspect with a victim or with a crime scene can establish the identity of persons associated with a crime

• Physical Evidence

• Pattern Evidence

• Transient Evidence

• Transfer Evidence

may be developed from the witness testimony by a computer program or forensic artist

• Class physical evidence

• Police composite

• Physical classification

• Individual physical evidence

conditional evidence

headlight, lighting conditions, lights on or off

• Light

• Smoke

• Scene

• Fire

conditional evidence color and direction of the flames, speed of spread, temperature and condition of fire

• Body

• Fire

• Scene

• Vehicle

Witness's prior relationship with the accused

Length of time between the offense and the identification

Any prior identification or failure to identify the defendant

Any prior identification of a person other than the defendant by the eyewitness

• Additional factors that affect accuracy of the eyewitness testimony

• Examples of pattern evidence

• Factors that affect accuracy of the eyewitness statement

• Physical evidence can be used to ask questions about

produced by a specific event or action; important in crime scene reconstruction and in determining the set of circumstances pr sequence within a particular event

• Conditional Evidence

• Police composite

• Testimonial Evidence

• Pattern Evidence

Nature of the offense and the situation in which the crime is observed. Characteristics of the witness manner in which the information is retrieved.

• A forensic scientist does this

• Physical evidence can be used to ask questions about

• Factors that affect accuracy of the eyewitness statement

• Additional factors that affect accuracy of the eyewitness statement

transient evidence

putrefaction, perfume, gasoline, urine, burning, explosives, cigarette or cigar smoke

• Temperature

• Body

• Imprints and impressions

• Odor

any object or material that is relevant in a crime; also known as indirect evidence (hair, fiber, fingerprints, documents, blood, soil drugs, tool marks, impressions, glass)

• Pattern evidence

• Physical classification

• Transient evidence

• Physical evidence

something that may associate a victim or suspect with a scene or with each other; eg., a personal belonging

• Transient evidence

• Associative evidence

• A forensic scientist does this

• Testimonial evidence