Among the primary sources for solving a crime is the evidence attached to it. In the United States, The Federal Bureau of Investigations Criminal Justice Information Services Division is responsible for collecting such data. However, to provide justice for victims and achieve a courtroom conviction, evidence collection must be valid, reliable, and performed thoroughly. In this article, we’ll be discussing the value of evidence in a criminal case and how it’s collected.
How Evidence Is Collected
It’s the primary responsibility of a Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) unit to perform evidence collection. The collection process is dictated by the type of crime committed. While in some agencies, individual officers are trained for evidence collection, larger agencies might have an entire specialized unit dedicated to this purpose. Officers then collect evidence directly from the crime scene as well as from persons and other locations linked to the crime.
What Counts as Evidence?
Permissible evidence collected from a crime scene can be almost anything. Among the most common types are:
1. Biological Evidence
- Bodily fluids
- Blood
- Hair
- Skin and other tissue
2. Latent Print Evidence
- Palm and fingerprints
- Footprints
3. Trace Evidence
- Soil and vegetation
- Fibers
- Glass fragments
- Paint chips
4. Digital Evidence
- Cellphone records (texts and calls)
- Email correspondence
- Internet logs and history
- Video and audio files
- Photographs
5. Miscellaneous Evidence
- Tire tracks
- Clothing and footwear
- Tools and tool indentations
- Drugs
- Firearms
- Other DNA
The Underlying Value of Evidence
Physical evidence is any legal team’s most reliable and objective source of information. When collected and handled properly, its value of proof will lie within its credibility and integrity. If this value is lost, the evidence becomes inadmissible. Other non-physical types of evidence, on the other hand, have limited reliability as they are often tagged as circumstantial.
In order to secure evidence that has been meticulously collected and preserved, it’s imperative that its records are properly maintained and that the chain of custody isn’t broken. Lack of an evidence tracking system often leads to failed trials. Having one, on the other hand, can ensure that lab work and storage are diligently performed.
Well-managed evidence can demonstrate the likely chronological steps that took place during the crime. Chain of custody documentation will then illustrate the connection between this evidence and the crime and can be accurately presented in court.
Creating Value in Evidence
A lot of evidence is transient or fragile in nature and must be used to properly analyze facts, accurately put together a set of events as they occurred, and fully demonstrate a timeline. How reliable the evidence is will depend on how robust an agency’s police evidence management system is, and the physical integrity kept at a scene.
Thorough Evidence Tracking
Adhering strictly to professional guidelines and approaching a scene with care is what preserves the integrity of all types of evidence. For anything to be admissible in court, there must be a proper method of recording enforced. With PMI Evidence Tracker™, you can easily manage your collected evidence in one central database.
You can automate certain features for faster data entry using barcodes to marry your physical and digital inventory. To put context to your files, you can also attach photos, lab reports and receipts to any particular case.
Leveraging the Facts
Most evidence will be valuable to your case—but not all of it. Properly determining what can provide facts versus subjective opinions is far more productive and precise.
Our Trusted Evidence Management Software
PMI Evidence Tracker™ is an evidence management software that can take your cases to the next level. To find out what our system includes and what it can do for your department, contact us today.
