Evidence & Documentation Flashcards
6 cards from real Private Investigator Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Evidence & Documentation flashcards as text
When documenting vehicle surveillance, which information is most critical to record?
Answer: License plate number, make, model, color, and time of observation
Documenting the license plate number, make, model, color, and time allows investigators and attorneys to identify and verify the vehicle in public records.
What is the difference between an investigative report and an affidavit?
Answer: An affidavit is a sworn, notarized statement while an investigative report is not sworn
An affidavit is a sworn, notarized written statement used in legal proceedings, while an investigative report is an internal document that may or may not be sworn.
What does 'spoliation hold' mean when a PI is informed that litigation is anticipated?
Answer: The PI must preserve all relevant evidence and stop any routine destruction of records
A spoliation hold requires all parties, including PIs, to preserve relevant evidence once litigation is reasonably anticipated to prevent allegations of evidence destruction.
When photographing a document as evidence, the PI should:
Answer: Wear gloves and photograph it in place before moving it
Wearing gloves and photographing the document in its original position preserves fingerprint evidence and documents the original context of discovery.
Which of the following is an example of 'demonstrative evidence'?
Answer: A diagram or timeline created to illustrate facts for a court
Demonstrative evidence, such as diagrams, timelines, or charts, is created to help the fact-finder understand complex information—it is illustrative, not real evidence itself.
A PI's activity log should be written in what tense?
Answer: Past tense
Activity logs document what has already occurred, so they are written in the past tense, recording completed observations and actions accurately.