CSI Documentation Techniques 2

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of a crime scene sketch?

Accepted Answer

To provide accurate measurements and spatial relationships

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Bird's-eye (floor plan) sketch

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

The angle of impact and distance from the origin

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Locating a point by measuring from two fixed reference points

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Taking contemporaneous, detailed notes during scene processing

Answer

Contemporaneous notes written at the scene provide the most accurate and legally defensible record for later testimony.

(CSI) Crime Scene Investigator Practice Test