CSI Documentation Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a crime scene sketch?
- To replace photographs
- To provide accurate measurements and spatial relationships (Correct answer)
- To record witness statements
- To identify suspects
Correct answer: To provide accurate measurements and spatial relationships
Crime scene sketches provide accurate measurements and spatial relationships between evidence items that photographs alone cannot convey.
Question 2: Which type of crime scene sketch shows an overhead view looking straight down?
- Elevation sketch
- Exploded view sketch
- Bird's-eye (floor plan) sketch (Correct answer)
- Perspective sketch
Correct answer: Bird's-eye (floor plan) sketch
A bird's-eye or floor plan sketch provides an overhead view that shows the layout and positions of evidence from directly above.
Question 3: When documenting bloodstain patterns, which measurement is most critical to record?
- The color of the stain
- The angle of impact and distance from the origin (Correct answer)
- The age of the stain
- The texture of the surface
Correct answer: The angle of impact and distance from the origin
Angle of impact and distance from the origin allow investigators to reconstruct where the blood source was located during the event.
Question 4: What does 'triangulation' mean in the context of crime scene sketching?
- Drawing a triangle around evidence
- Locating a point by measuring from two fixed reference points (Correct answer)
- Using three cameras to photograph evidence
- A method of fingerprint classification
Correct answer: Locating a point by measuring from two fixed reference points
Triangulation locates an evidence item by taking measurements from two known fixed points, allowing the position to be precisely re-established.
Question 5: Which note-taking practice best supports courtroom testimony months after the investigation?
- Writing notes from memory after leaving the scene
- Recording only major findings to save time
- Taking contemporaneous, detailed notes during scene processing (Correct answer)
- Relying solely on photographs instead of written notes
Correct answer: Taking contemporaneous, detailed notes during scene processing
Contemporaneous notes written at the scene provide the most accurate and legally defensible record for later testimony.
Question 6: What is a 'rough sketch' in crime scene documentation?
- A sketch drawn by a suspect
- A preliminary, not-to-scale drawing made at the scene for reference (Correct answer)
- A digital rendering of the scene
- A sketch completed after evidence is removed
Correct answer: A preliminary, not-to-scale drawing made at the scene for reference
A rough sketch is a preliminary, not-to-scale drawing created at the scene that will later be refined into a finished sketch.
Question 7: Why should a CSI record the condition of lighting at a crime scene?
- To select the correct camera filter
- Because lighting conditions may affect what was visible to witnesses or suspects (Correct answer)
- To comply with OSHA regulations
- To determine the age of the evidence
Correct answer: Because lighting conditions may affect what was visible to witnesses or suspects
Documenting lighting conditions helps establish what a witness or suspect could reasonably have seen at the time of the crime.
CSI Documentation Techniques 2
What is the primary purpose of a crime scene sketch?