Why is continuity of evidence important?
1. To maintain the integrity of real evidence relied upon in court, it is necessary that the prosecution is in a position to account for all the time during which exhibits have been in the possession of the investigators.
Can police make up evidence?
Fabrication of Evidence by Police Police alter, suppress, or make up evidence for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons could be to cover up a mistake or omission that they made during the initial investigation or to try to build a stronger case against a suspect that officers are convinced is guilty of a crime.
Why is exculpatory evidence important?
Exculpatory evidence is important in a criminal case because it may be the difference between a person walking free or spending time in prison. A person should face criminal punishment only if they commit a crime. Prosecutors are now required to share any exculpatory evidence that may prove a defendant’s innocence.
Why is evidence considered tainted if there is a break in the chain of custody?
If there are any discrepancies in the chain of custody and law enforcement cannot prove who had the evidence at a particular time, the chain of custody is broken and the defendant can ask to have the evidence declared inadmissible so that it cannot be used to try to convict the defendant.
Why is the chain of custody so important?
Importance of the Chain of Custody The chain of custody proves the integrity of a piece of evidence. [1] A paper trail is maintained so that the persons who had charge of the evidence at any given time can be known quickly and summoned to testify during the trial if required.
What is the chain of custody rule?
“Chain of Custody” means the duly recorded authorized movements and custody of seized drugs or controlled chemicals or plant sources of dangerous drugs or laboratory equipment of each stage, from the time of seizure/confiscation to receipt in the forensic laboratory to safekeeping to presentation in court for …
What steps would you include in order to maintain the chain of custody?
To maintain the chain of custody for evidence collected during medical forensic examinations, label each item of evidence with the initials of everyone who handled it, the date, a description and source of the specimen, the name of the examiner, and the name of the patient.
Who are involved in the chain of custody?
The chain of custody is established whenever an investigator takes custody of evidence at a crime scene. The chain is maintained when evidence is received from another officer or detective.
What happened to the case when the chain of custody is altered?
Radically altered items of evidence may still be admitted if their pertinent features remain unaltered: Even though the object is not in exactly the same condition at trial as at the time in issue- or even if in substantially the same condition- the exhibit may still be admitted if the changes can be explained, and …
Who is responsible for the custody of the collected pieces of evidence after its collection?
An identifiable person must always have the physical custody of a piece of evidence. In practice, this means that a police officer or detective will take charge of a piece of evidence, document its collection, and hand it over to an evidence clerk for storage in a secure place.
What is labeling of evidence?
The marking and labeling begins our control and custody of the items of evidence. It establishes the proof that the items of evidence collected at the crime scene is the same evidence that is being presented in a court of law.