Question 1

Probable cause is a set of facts that ______.

Accepted Answer

Probable cause refers to a reasonable basis for believing that a crime may have been committed, which would convince a reasonable person that particular circumstances exist.

Question 2

Reasonable suspicion applies to ______.

Accepted Answer

Reasonable suspicion is a standard used by police to justify brief stops and detentions, but not enough to justify a full search. This standard is most commonly associated with stop-and-frisk searches.

Question 3

The legal question what would a reasonable person have thought or done under these circumstances relates to ______.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 4

With regard to circumstantial evidence, which of the following is/are TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Circumstantial evidence, also known as indirect evidence, is evidence that does not directly prove the fact in question but instead proves another fact from which one can infer the truth of the fact in question. It is often used in criminal investigations and can be very powerful. It is not the same as hearsay evidence, which involves statements made outside of the courtroom to prove the truth of the matter asserted. People can and have been convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence alone when it is strong enough to meet the burden of proof.

Question 5

Jake previously threatened to kill Amy. This threat represents ______ evidence that Jake killed Amy.

Accepted Answer

The threat is indirect evidence because it suggests a motive or intent but does not directly prove that Jake killed Amy. Direct evidence would be something like a video of the act.

Question 6

An eyewitness saw the defendant put poison in the victim's food. The eyewitness statement about this observation is ______ that the defendant put poison in the victim's food.

Accepted Answer

Direct evidence directly proves a fact without needing any inference or presumption, and an eyewitness statement about seeing the defendant poison the victim's food directly proves the act without needing to infer from other facts.

Question 7

Facts concerning the defendant's attempts to avoid apprehension, possession of the fruits of the crime, and ability and motive to commit the crime ______.

Accepted Answer

These facts are considered circumstantial evidence because they suggest the defendant's guilt without directly proving it. Circumstantial evidence relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact, such as a person's guilt, rather than directly proving that fact.

Question 8

Hearsay is a form of ______.

Accepted Answer

Hearsay is considered testimonial evidence because it involves statements made by a witness who is not present in court to testify under oath. It is typically second-hand information relayed by someone who heard it from the original source.

Question 9

Dental evidence and fingerprints are often used as ______.

Accepted Answer

Dental evidence and fingerprints are primarily used for identifying individuals, making them key forms of identification evidence.

Question 10

______ is evidence that is admissible in court, and it meets the rules of evidence.

Accepted Answer

Judicial evidence is the type of evidence that is admissible in court because it meets the specific rules and standards of evidence required by the court.

Question 11

Evidence that tends to exclude or eliminate someone from consideration as a suspect is ______.

Accepted Answer

Exculpatory evidence is any evidence that may exonerate a defendant in a criminal case, essentially showing that the defendant is not guilty or reducing their culpability. It tends to exclude or eliminate someone from consideration as a suspect.

Question 12

The standard of proof needed in trial in order to conclude that a defendant is guilty of a crime is ______.

Accepted Answer

The standard of proof required to convict a defendant of a crime in a trial is "beyond a reasonable doubt." This means the evidence presented must be so convincing that there is no reasonable doubt in the mind of a reasonable person that the defendant is guilty.

Question 13

Crime-related information in which inferences and probabilities are needed in order to draw an associated conclusion is ______.

Accepted Answer

Indirect evidence, also known as circumstantial evidence, requires inference and probability to connect it to a conclusion, unlike direct evidence which directly proves a fact.

Question 14

The fact that a defendant had a motive for committing the crime is ______ evidence of his/her guilt.

Accepted Answer

Motive is considered indirect evidence because it suggests a reason why the defendant might have committed the crime but does not directly prove that they did it.

Question 15

Evidence that is presented in court through witnesses speaking under oath is ______.

Accepted Answer

Testimonial evidence is evidence presented in court through witnesses speaking under oath. This type of evidence is based on what witnesses have heard, seen, or experienced.

Question 16

Hearsay is most often excluded from court proceedings because it is considered ______.

Accepted Answer

Hearsay is most often excluded from court proceedings because it is considered unreliable. This is due to the fact that the person who made the statement is not present in court to be cross-examined, which could affect the accuracy and credibility of the statement.

Question 17

Diagrams of a crime scene are best considered ______.

Accepted Answer

Diagrams of a crime scene are considered demonstrative evidence because they are created to illustrate or explain something, such as the layout of the crime scene, to the court or jury. Demonstrative evidence helps to clarify the facts of the case.

Question 18

Evidence that establishes that a crime actually occurred is ______.

Accepted Answer

Corpus delicti evidence is the type of evidence that proves that a crime has been committed. The term "corpus delicti" literally means "body of the crime" in Latin, referring to the principle that the fact of a crime's occurrence must be proven before a person can be convicted of committing that crime.

Question 19

What type of evidence is used to construct a psychological profile?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral evidence is used to construct a psychological profile, as it includes patterns, actions, and behaviors of individuals that can help in understanding their psychological state and predicting future actions.

Question 20

The knife used in a homicide is best considered ______.

Accepted Answer

Real evidence refers to physical objects that are involved in the crime, such as the knife used in a homicide.

Quiz 3: The Role and Documentation of Evidence in Criminal Investigations