PI PI Evidence Collection and Chain of Custody 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What type of evidence label should a PI place on every collected item?
- Only the client's name and billing address
- Case number, date and time of collection, location, and collector's name (Correct answer)
- A numbered sticker matching the PI's license number
- The subject's name and the item's estimated value
Correct answer: Case number, date and time of collection, location, and collector's name
Every evidence label must include the case number, collection date and time, location found, and the name of the person who collected it to support chain of custody documentation.
Question 2: When photographing a piece of physical evidence, a PI should include which item in at least one photograph?
- The client's business card
- A scale or ruler to show the object's size (Correct answer)
- The PI's license certificate
- A newspaper showing the current date
Correct answer: A scale or ruler to show the object's size
Including a scale or ruler in evidence photographs provides an objective reference for the object's dimensions, which can be critical when evidence is presented in court without the original item.
Question 3: A PI working a workers' compensation fraud case films a claimant lifting heavy boxes. The best way to preserve this video as evidence is to:
- Upload it to a personal social media account for backup
- Store the original file on write-protected media and create working copies for review (Correct answer)
- Email it to the client immediately and delete the original
- Edit out irrelevant footage before saving
Correct answer: Store the original file on write-protected media and create working copies for review
The original video file should be preserved on write-protected media to prevent alteration, while working copies are used for review, ensuring the original's integrity is maintained for court.
Question 4: When transferring physical evidence to an attorney or client, a PI should:
- Hand it over in person with no documentation to maintain confidentiality
- Require a signed receipt documenting what was transferred, to whom, and when (Correct answer)
- Mail it in a standard envelope to avoid drawing attention
- Take photographs of the transfer as the only record needed
Correct answer: Require a signed receipt documenting what was transferred, to whom, and when
A signed receipt documenting the items transferred, the recipient's identity, and the date and time is essential to maintaining an unbroken chain of custody record.
Question 5: What does 'best evidence rule' mean for a PI presenting documentary evidence?
- Only the most damaging evidence may be submitted
- The original document is preferred over copies unless the original is unavailable (Correct answer)
- Evidence from the PI's personal observation outweighs documents
- Documents must be certified by a notary to be admissible
Correct answer: The original document is preferred over copies unless the original is unavailable
The best evidence rule requires that the original document be submitted as evidence when its contents are at issue, with copies only acceptable when the original cannot be produced.
Question 6: A PI should store evidence in a manner that protects it from:
- Only theft by third parties
- Theft, environmental damage (heat, moisture, light), and unauthorized access (Correct answer)
- Only tampering by the subject of the investigation
- Disclosure to the client without a court order
Correct answer: Theft, environmental damage (heat, moisture, light), and unauthorized access
Evidence must be protected from multiple threats including theft, environmental conditions that degrade it, and unauthorized access by anyone who could alter or contaminate it.
PI PI Evidence Collection and Chain of Custody 2
What type of evidence label should a PI place on every collected item?