Street Law Chapter 12: The Investigation

What is the purpose of an investigation in a criminal case?

• To cover up the crime and protect the guilty party

• To waste time and resources without any real purpose

• To intimidate innocent people and create fear in the community

• To gather evidence and information to determine whether a crime has been committed and who is responsible for it.

What are the different types of evidence that can be collected during an investigation?

• eyewitness evidence, character evidence, documentary evidence, and hearsay evidence

• physical evidence, documentary evidence, testimonial evidence, and digital evidence

• direct evidence, indirect evidence, corroborative evidence, and demonstrative evidence

• circumstantial evidence, forensic evidence, expert evidence, and hearsay evidence

Explain the concept of probable cause and its role in an investigation.

• Probable cause is the requirement for law enforcement to obtain a search warrant, but not for making an arrest.

• Probable cause is the reasonable belief that a crime has been committed or that evidence of a crime exists. It is necessary for law enforcement to obtain a search warrant or make an arrest.

• Probable cause is only necessary for obtaining a search warrant, not for making an arrest.

• Probable cause is the belief that a crime has not been committed and there is no evidence of a crime.

What is the difference between a search warrant and an arrest warrant?

• A search warrant allows law enforcement to arrest a specific individual, while an arrest warrant allows law enforcement to search a location for evidence.

• A search warrant and an arrest warrant are the same thing.

• A search warrant is used for civil cases, while an arrest warrant is used for criminal cases.

• The difference between a search warrant and an arrest warrant is that a search warrant allows law enforcement to search a location for evidence, while an arrest warrant authorizes the arrest of a specific individual.

What are the steps involved in conducting a thorough investigation?

• Gather information, analyze, formulate hypotheses, test, evaluate, communicate, define the problem

• Define the problem, gather information, analyze, formulate hypotheses, test, evaluate, communicate

• Define the problem, gather information, analyze, formulate hypotheses, test, evaluate, communicate

• Analyze, gather information, formulate hypotheses, test, evaluate, communicate, define the problem

What is the significance of chain of custody in preserving and presenting evidence?

• Chain of custody only matters for certain types of evidence

• Chain of custody is only important if the evidence is being used in a criminal case

• Chain of custody is important in preserving and presenting evidence as it establishes the authenticity and reliability of the evidence in court.

• Chain of custody is irrelevant in preserving and presenting evidence

Explain the concept of Miranda rights and when they should be read to a suspect.

• Miranda rights should be read to a suspect when they are in custody and are about to be interrogated.

• Miranda rights should be read to a suspect when they are innocent.

• Miranda rights should be read to a suspect when they are arrested.

• Miranda rights should be read to a suspect when they are not in custody.

What are some common challenges faced by investigators during an investigation?

• Too much evidence to sort through

• Unlimited resources and funding

• Lack of cooperation, difficulty in obtaining evidence, false leads, and limited resources.

• Overwhelming cooperation from witnesses

What is the role of forensic science in criminal investigations?

• Forensic science has no role in criminal investigations.

• Forensic science only focuses on analyzing DNA evidence in criminal investigations.

• Forensic science is only used in civil cases, not criminal investigations.

• Forensic science helps in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting evidence in criminal investigations.

Discuss the ethical considerations that investigators should keep in mind during an investigation.

• Allowing personal biases and conflicts of interest to influence the investigation process.

• Ignoring privacy concerns and obtaining consent from individuals involved in the investigation.

• Sharing confidential information with unauthorized parties and not following professional codes of conduct.

• Respecting rights and privacy, obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining objectivity and impartiality, adhering to professional codes of conduct and legal regulations.