Case Documentation & Evidence Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CFE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Case Documentation & Evidence Management flashcards as text
A forensic examiner is testifying and is challenged about a gap in the chain of custody log. The BEST way to address this challenge is to:
Answer: Explain what is known and acknowledge the gap while demonstrating overall integrity
Honest acknowledgment of a gap, combined with evidence showing overall integrity, is more credible and defensible than denial or deflection.
Which type of report is typically provided to the retaining attorney summarizing forensic findings in non-technical language?
Answer: Executive summary report
An executive summary translates technical forensic findings into accessible language suitable for attorneys, judges, and juries who lack technical expertise.
Evidence stored in a property room at incorrect temperature and humidity conditions is MOST problematic for which type of evidence?
Answer: Biological and DNA evidence
Biological evidence degrades rapidly under improper temperature and humidity conditions, potentially destroying DNA that is critical to a case.
Under Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 803(6), business records may be admitted as an exception to hearsay if they were:
Answer: Made at or near the time of the recorded act by a person with knowledge in the regular course of business
FRE 803(6) requires that business records be made contemporaneously by a knowledgeable person as part of a regular business practice.
Which documentation element distinguishes a forensic report from a standard investigative report?
Answer: Objective methodology, limitations of findings, and reproducible procedures
Forensic reports must detail objective methods, acknowledge limitations, and describe procedures in enough detail to allow independent verification.
When an examiner makes an error in a written case report, the CORRECT way to correct it is to:
Answer: Draw a single line through the error, write the correction, and initial and date it
A single strikethrough with initials and date maintains the original text's visibility and creates a transparent, auditable correction record.
In digital forensics, a 'write blocker' is primarily documented in case notes because it:
Answer: Prevents any modification to the original evidence during acquisition
Write blockers prevent any data from being written to original evidence media, preserving its integrity during the acquisition process.