Knowra Forensic evidence Forensic evidence Forensic evidence is information produced by scientific or technical examination and offered to help establish facts in legal proceedings. Its value depends on the method used, the quality of the material, and how cautiously conclusions are stated.
Chain of custody : A documented record of who collected, handled, transferred, and stored evidence. A complete record helps establish that the examined material is the material recovered from a case.
Trace evidence : Small or microscopic materials transferred through contact, such as fibers, glass, or paint. Many forensic examinations begin with traces whose significance depends on their source and transfer.
Forensic toxicology : The analysis of drugs, alcohol, and poisons in biological samples for legal investigations. Chemical findings can help establish exposure, impairment, or cause of death.
Circumstantial evidence : Evidence that supports a conclusion through inference rather than direct observation of the fact at issue. Forensic findings often support an inference, even when they are scientific measurements.
Forensic laboratory : A facility where scientific examinations are conducted for criminal or civil investigations. Laboratory procedures turn collected material into reported observations and results.
DNA profiling : A method for comparing individuals using patterns in selected regions of their DNA. DNA profiles are a major form of biological forensic evidence.
Forensic pathology : The medical investigation of death, including its cause and circumstances. Postmortem examinations produce medical findings used in criminal and civil cases.
Direct evidence : Evidence that, if believed, establishes a fact without requiring an inference. Forensic evidence is commonly evaluated alongside testimony or records that bear more directly on events.
Forensic report : A formal document recording forensic examinations, methods, results, and interpretations. The report carries laboratory findings into investigation and legal proceedings.
Latent fingerprint : A friction-ridge impression not readily visible, recovered from a surface using development techniques. Latent prints are examined for ridge detail that may associate an impression with a person.
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