CPD Investigation & Evidence 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer responds to a domestic battery call and observes fresh injuries on the victim. The victim refuses to make a statement. The officer should:
- Document observations, collect available evidence, and arrest if probable cause exists regardless of victim cooperation (Correct answer)
- Take no action because the victim is uncooperative
- Arrest only if the victim signs a complaint
- Refer the case to a detective and leave the scene
Correct answer: Document observations, collect available evidence, and arrest if probable cause exists regardless of victim cooperation
In Illinois, officers may arrest for domestic battery on probable cause alone without victim cooperation under mandatory arrest policies.
Question 2: Which type of lineup procedure is considered least susceptible to suggestibility bias?
- Sequential blind administration by an officer unaware of the suspect's identity (Correct answer)
- Simultaneous lineup administered by the case detective
- Photo array shown all at once to the witness
- In-person show-up at the crime scene
Correct answer: Sequential blind administration by an officer unaware of the suspect's identity
Sequential blind lineups reduce suggestibility because neither the officer nor the witness can inadvertently influence identification.
Question 3: The 'exclusionary rule' established in Mapp v. Ohio means that:
- Evidence obtained in violation of constitutional rights is generally inadmissible in criminal proceedings (Correct answer)
- Officers must exclude themselves from investigations involving personal relationships
- Hearsay evidence is excluded from trial
- Prior convictions are excluded from jury consideration
Correct answer: Evidence obtained in violation of constitutional rights is generally inadmissible in criminal proceedings
Mapp v. Ohio applied the exclusionary rule to the states, barring illegally obtained evidence from criminal trials.
Question 4: A suspect voluntarily speaks to an officer on the street without being detained. The officer does NOT need to give Miranda warnings because:
- The person is not in custody and can leave at any time (Correct answer)
- Miranda only applies to felony investigations
- The officer is not a detective
- The conversation occurs outdoors
Correct answer: The person is not in custody and can leave at any time
Miranda applies only to custodial interrogation; a voluntary, non-custodial conversation does not trigger its requirements.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of exculpatory evidence that must be disclosed to the defense under Brady v. Maryland?
- A witness statement indicating the defendant was at another location at the time of the crime (Correct answer)
- The officer's personnel file
- The victim's medical history unrelated to the offense
- Laboratory fees for processing evidence
Correct answer: A witness statement indicating the defendant was at another location at the time of the crime
Brady requires the prosecution to disclose any evidence favorable to the defense, including alibi-supporting witness statements.
Question 6: In processing a homicide scene, the medical examiner's primary role is to:
- Determine cause and manner of death and estimate time of death (Correct answer)
- Collect all physical evidence from the scene
- Conduct the initial witness interviews
- Authorize evidence collection by officers
Correct answer: Determine cause and manner of death and estimate time of death
The medical examiner determines how (cause) and under what circumstances (manner) death occurred, which guides the investigation.
Question 7: An officer discovers evidence of an additional crime while executing a lawful search warrant for narcotics. The officer may seize evidence of the additional crime if:
- It is in plain view and its incriminating nature is immediately apparent (Correct answer)
- The additional crime is more serious than the one listed on the warrant
- The officer amends the warrant before seizing the evidence
- A supervisor verbally authorizes the additional seizure
Correct answer: It is in plain view and its incriminating nature is immediately apparent
The plain view doctrine allows officers executing a valid warrant to seize additional evidence that is openly visible and clearly incriminating.
CPD Investigation & Evidence 4
An officer responds to a domestic battery call and observes fresh injuries on the victim.
The victim refuses to make a statement.
The officer should: