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| Links a suspect with a crime. |
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| Computerized system of reviewing and mapping fingerprints. |
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| The study of the dynamics of projectiles, from propulsion through flight to impact; a narrower definition is the study of the functioning of firearms. |
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| Original object, or the highest available degree of proof can be produced. |
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| Statistical study of biological data such as fingerprints. |
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| Inside portion of a weapon's barrel, which is surrounded by lands and grooves. |
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| Documentation of what has happened to evidence from the time it was discovered until it is needed in court, inclding every person who has had custody of the evidence and why. |
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| Fact or event that tends to incriminate a person in a crime; for example, being seen running from a crime scene. |
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| Features that place an item into a specific category; for example, the size and shape of a tool. |
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| Has been properly collected, identified, filed and continiously secured. |
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| Post-crime transfer of material to or from evidence. |
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| Elements of a specific; evidence establishing that a specific crime has been committed. |
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| Establishes that a crime was committed. |
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| Allowing items of evidence to touch one another, and thus, exchange matter. |
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| Two-pronged requirement than an expert's testimony be both reliable and relevant. |
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| Establishes proof of a fact without any other evidence. |
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| An organic substance found in the nucleus of living cells that provides the genetic code determining a person's individual characterisitics. |
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| Forensic analysis of blood, hair, saliva, semen, or cells from almost any part of the body to ascertain a positive identity or match. |
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| Fingerprints taken of every individual whose prints are likely to be found at the crime scene but who are not suspects. |
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| Data on which a judgment or conclusion may be based; used for determining the facts in a case, for later laboratory examination and for direct presentation in a court. |
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| Uses standar scientific techniques developed by physical anthropologists and archaeologists to identify human skeletal remains as they relate to criminal cases; a relatively new but rapidly expanding field of forensics. |
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| Science applied to criminal and civil law. |
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| DNA analysis used to positvely identify a person. |
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| Merely tends to incriminate a person, such as a suspect's footprints found near the crime scene, also called circumstantial evidence. |
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| Individual Characteristics |
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Definition
| Feature that set one item apart from others of the same type. |
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Definition
| Digital, live-scan capture of fingerprints that can be stored in a database for rapid retrieval. |
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| Referring to the requirements that any item ontroduced in court must be in the same condition as when it was found at the crime scene. |
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| Raised ridges in the barrel of a firearm; part of a weapon's bore that make up the rifling. |
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| Print impressions caused by perspiration on the ridges of the fingers being transferred to a surface or occurring as residues of oil, dirt, or grease. |
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| That which is relevant to the specific case and forms a substantive part of the case presented or that has legitimate and effective influience on the decision of the case. |
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| Anything real, that has substance, and inflicting physical harm upon a child. |
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| Impressions left in soft substances such as putty, grease, tar, butter, or soft soap. |
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| That made so by law; for example the blood alcohol level for intoxication. |
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| Tends to prove or actually proves guilt or innocence, vital for the investigation or prosecution of a case. |
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| Remnants of an interaction, transfer or exchange of material between two items (Locard's exhange principle); the evidence analyzed by forensic scientists to uncover the relationships between people, places, and objects. |
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| Study of the mental processes involved in the comprehension, production and acquistiion of language. |
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Definition
| Applies to the matter in question. |
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| Lands and grooves inside a weapon, which grip and spin the bullet as it passes through the bore, providing greater projectile control and accuracy. |
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| Using a laboratory instrument that rapidly analyzes color and coloring agents in small samples of material to determine what elements they contain. |
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| Object, measure or model with which evidence is compared to determine whether both orginated from the same source. |
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| Highly individualized and characteristics scratches made on projectile as it passes through a weapon's rifling; provide valuable comparison evidence on recovered bullets. |
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| Impression left by a tool on surface. |
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| Extremely small physical matter. |
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| Invisible energy at the violet end of the color spectrum that causes substances to emit visible light. Commonly called fluoursecence. Used to detect secret inks, invisible laundry marks, seminal fluid stans, marked buy money or extortion packages. |
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Definition
| Prints made when fingers are dirty or stained and leave their impression on a glossy or light-colored surface. |
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| Graphic record of an individual's voice characteristics made by a sound spectograph that records energy patterns emitted by speech. |
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| Laboratory instrument that compares unknown crystalline substances and mixtures. |
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| Statement containing some information concerning the elements of a crime, but falling short of a full confession. |
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| Occurs when someone else makes a statement in a person's presence and under circumstances where it would be logical to expect the person to make a denial if the statement falsely implicated him or her, but the person does not deny the allegation. |
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Definition
| Interrogation technique where an officer questions custodial suspect without giving the Miranda warnings and obtain incriminating statements; the officer then gives the warning gets a waiver and repeats the interrogation to obtain the same statement. |
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Definition
| Interviewing technique that helps victims or witnesses put themselves mentally at the scene of the crime. |
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| Person who request an investigation or that action be taken; is often the victim of a crime. |
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| Information supporting the elements of a crime that is provided and attested to by any person involved in committing the crime. Can be oral or written. |
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| That point at which an officer has decided a suspect is not free to leave, there has been considerable deprivation of the suspect's liberty, or the officers has arrested the suspect. |
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| Questioning by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of freedom in significant way; requires that the Miranda warning be given. |
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| Is to the point with little chance of misinterpretation; for example, "What time did you leave?" |
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| When questioning occurs spontaneously at the scene. |
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| Skirts the issue; for example, "How do you and the victim get along?" Should be used sparingly if at all. |
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| Any individual who can provide information related to a case and who is not a complainant, witness, victim or suspect. |
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| Period driven by information rather than by agriculture or industry as in the past. |
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Definition
| Questioning people suspected of direct or indirect involvement in the crime being investigated. |
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| Questioning people not suspected of being involved in a crime but who know something about the crime or the individuals involved in it. |
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Definition
| Informs suspects of their rights to remain silent, to have counsel present and to have the state appoint and pay counsel if they cannot afford one. It also warns suspects that anything they say can be used against them in court. |
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| Relationships, links between people and between people and their beliefs; two or more computers connected for the purpose of sharing data and resources. |
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| Messages conveyed by dress, eye contact, posture, gestures, distance, mannerisms, rate of speech and tone of voice. |
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Definition
| Scientifically measure respiration and depth of breathing, changes in the skin's electrical resistance blood pressure and pulse. |
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| Ruling that police may interrogate a suspect without first giving the Miranda warning if a public threat exists that might be removed by having the suspect talk. |
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Definition
| Understanding between individuals created by genuine interest and concern. |
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| Sources-of-information File |
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Definition
| Contains the name and location of persons, organizations and records that can assist in a criminal investigation. |
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Definition
| Legal narrative description of events related to a crime. |
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Definition
| Prior testimony or statements made as a result of police interrogation; a wtiness' statement obtained through "structured questioning" by police officers that is inadmissible in a criminal trial unless the witness is unavailable to testify and was previously cross-examined by the defendant. |
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Definition
| Use of physical force, threats of force or other physical, mental or psychological abuse to induce a suspect to confess. |
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Definition
| Giving up of certain rights. |
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| Taking a person into custody in the manner authorized by law. |
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Definition
| Using a machine to record conversations within a room without the consent of those involved. |
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Definition
| Moving surveillance by which the subject is kept constantly within view. |
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| Assumed identity used while on an undercover assignment. |
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Definition
| Method of suspect identification that attempts to identify the individual's mental, emotional and psychological characteristics. |
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| Functional equivalent of an arrest; illegally bringing someone in for questioning without probable cause. Any evidence obtained through this method is inadmissible in court. |
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| Tricking someone into committing a crime that they would not normally commit. |
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| More than ordinary force, justified only when exceptional resistance occurs and there is not other to make the arrest. |
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Definition
| On-the-scene identification of a suspect the victim of or witnesses to a crime, conducted within a short time after the crime was committed. |
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| Observing a location from a fixed location. |
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| Any non-negotiable use of police authority to influence citizen behavior. |
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Definition
| Uses the fact that everyone has a pattern to their lives, particularly in relation to the geographical areas they frequent, to help identify suspects who commit multiple crime (serial criminals). |
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| Moving surveillance in which it does not matter if the subject is temporarily lost. |
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| Court-approved stipulation that an arrest or search warrant may be carried out at night. |
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Definition
| No extraordinary means are used to reamin undected. |
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Definition
| Stops of vehicles when an officer's intent was not the real reason for the stop; presence of an ulterior motive on an officer's part for the stop. |
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Definition
| Attempts to identify an indivudal's mental, emotional and psychological characteristics to provide investigators with corroborative information about a known suspect or possible leads to an unknown suspect. |
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| Occurs when an officer focuses on an individual as a suspect based solely on that person's race; this is unconstitutional. |
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| A planned, organized invasion that uses the element of surprise to recover stolen property, seize evidence or arrest a suspect. |
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| Amount of force a prudent person would use in similar circumstances. |
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Definition
| Moving surveillance in which it does not matter if the surveillant is detected. |
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Definition
| On-the-scne identification of a suspect by victim of or witnesses to a crime. |
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Definition
| Those crucial to resolving investigation. |
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Definition
| What is observed during surveillance; for example, a person, place, property, vehicle, group of people, organization, object. |
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Definition
| Covert, discreet observation of people or places |
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| Plainclothes investigator assigned to surveillance. |
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| Following people or vehicles on foot or in a vehicle to observe their actions or destinations. |
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| Using an assumed identity to obtain information or evidence. |
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Definition
| Intercepting and recording telephone conversations by a mechanical device without the consent of either party in the conversation. |
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