DCJS Criminal Investigation Procedures 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'digital forensics' in the context of a criminal investigation?
- Using digital radios to coordinate crime scene response
- The collection, preservation, and analysis of electronic evidence from devices and networks (Correct answer)
- Online public records searches conducted by patrol officers
- Computer-aided dispatch logging
Correct answer: The collection, preservation, and analysis of electronic evidence from devices and networks
Digital forensics involves the recovery and analysis of material found on electronic devices in a way that preserves evidence integrity for court use.
Question 2: When an officer observes contraband in plain view through a car window during a lawful traffic stop, the 'plain view doctrine' allows seizure only if:
- The contraband's incriminating nature is immediately apparent (Correct answer)
- The officer first obtains a warrant
- A canine alerts to the vehicle
- The driver voluntarily points it out
Correct answer: The contraband's incriminating nature is immediately apparent
Plain view seizure requires that the officer is lawfully present, the object is in plain view, and its incriminating character is immediately apparent without further investigation.
Question 3: In a rape investigation, what is the primary purpose of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam?
- To determine if the victim is telling the truth
- To collect biological evidence and document injuries while providing medical care to the victim (Correct answer)
- To establish the suspect's identity through hypnosis
- To obtain a formal written statement for court
Correct answer: To collect biological evidence and document injuries while providing medical care to the victim
A SANE exam collects forensic evidence including DNA, documents injuries, and provides trauma-informed medical care to sexual assault victims.
Question 4: What is 'corroboration' and why is it important in criminal investigations?
- The process of releasing a suspect on bond
- Additional independent evidence that supports and strengthens a witness's account (Correct answer)
- A formal request for prosecution
- The arrest of multiple co-defendants simultaneously
Correct answer: Additional independent evidence that supports and strengthens a witness's account
Corroborating evidence independently confirms key parts of witness testimony, making cases stronger and more resistant to challenges at trial.
Question 5: An investigator learns that a key witness has died before trial. Which evidentiary rule might allow prior recorded testimony to be admitted?
- The Best Evidence Rule
- The Hearsay Exception for Former Testimony (Correct answer)
- The Excited Utterance Exception
- The Business Records Exception
Correct answer: The Hearsay Exception for Former Testimony
Prior testimony given under oath with opportunity for cross-examination may be admitted under the former testimony hearsay exception when the witness is unavailable.
Question 6: What is a 'canvass' in the context of a criminal investigation?
- A courtroom strategy used by defense attorneys
- A systematic door-to-door search of an area for witnesses or surveillance footage (Correct answer)
- The process of drawing a crime scene sketch
- A background check on potential jurors
Correct answer: A systematic door-to-door search of an area for witnesses or surveillance footage
A neighborhood canvass involves systematically contacting residents and businesses near a crime scene to find witnesses and gather information.
Question 7: Under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment, a defendant generally has the right to:
- Personally question all jurors before trial
- Cross-examine witnesses who testify against them at trial (Correct answer)
- Review all police training records
- Request a private meeting with the judge
Correct answer: Cross-examine witnesses who testify against them at trial
The Confrontation Clause guarantees defendants the right to face and cross-examine adverse witnesses, affecting how investigators document and present evidence.
DCJS Criminal Investigation Procedures 5
What is 'digital forensics' in the context of a criminal investigation?