FRSC 1011H Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Forensic Pathology, Algor Mortis, Livor Mortis
7 May 2018
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Physical Evidence
Kinds of Evidence
● Physical Evidence
○ Real evidence, generated as a result of a crime committed
● Demonstrated Evidence
○ Fabricated evidence often used to explain physical evidence
○ Eg a demonstration of blood spatter characteristics
Examining Physical Evidence
● Identification has, as its purpose, the determination of the physical or chemical
identity of a substance (with as near absolute certainty as existing analytical
techniques will permit)
● A comparison analysis subjects a suspect specimen and a standard/reference
specimen to the same tests and examinations for the ultimate purpose of
determining whether or not they have a common origin.
Identification
● Once these test results have been established, they may be permanently
recorded and used repeatedly to prove the identity of suspect materials
● Second, identification requires that the number and type of tests needed to
identify a substance be sufficient to exclude all other substances
Classifying Characteristics
● Individual characteristics
○ Evidence that can be associated to a common source with an extremely
high degree of probability is said to possess individual characteristics.
● Class characteristics
○ Evidence associated only with a group is said to have class characteristics
Canadian Forensic Databases
● National DNA Data Bank is responsible for 2 principal indices
○ The convicted offender index (COI) is the electronic index that has been
developed from DNA profiles collected from offenders convicted of
designated primary and secondary offences identified in section 487.04 of
the criminal code
○ The crime scene index (CSI) is a separate electronic index composed of
DNA profiles obtained from crime scene investigations of the same
designated offences addressed in the act
Document Summary
Real evidence, generated as a result of a crime committed. Fabricated evidence often used to explain physical evidence. Eg a demonstration of blood spatter characteristics. Identification has, as its purpose, the determination of the physical or chemical identity of a substance (with as near absolute certainty as existing analytical techniques will permit) A comparison analysis subjects a suspect specimen and a standard/reference specimen to the same tests and examinations for the ultimate purpose of determining whether or not they have a common origin. Once these test results have been established, they may be permanently recorded and used repeatedly to prove the identity of suspect materials. Second, identification requires that the number and type of tests needed to identify a substance be sufficient to exclude all other substances. Evidence that can be associated to a common source with an extremely high degree of probability is said to possess individual characteristics.
