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The Chain of Evidence
The chain of evidence refers the paper trail showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis and disposition of physical or electronic evidence. Any evidence obtained in the course of an investigation is subject to interrogation in a court of law. Subject to this demand, it is important that evidence is kept free from contamination, and achieved through as routine called the chain of custody. A motion of suppression is made by the defendant and is done whenever there is a break in the chain of evidence to exclude the admission of said evidence at the trial. The chain of custody, therefore, ensures the integrity of all material proof of a crime through handling it in a secure and validated manner so that it arrives at court untainted.
William is a banker at a downtown bank accused of murder in the first degree. William took part in a protracted argument with Miles, a mechanic, at a local restaurant that ended with Miles assaulting him. William is suspected to have driven over to Miles house later that evening, cornering him in the kitchen, and shot him twice in the chest with a revolver.The much larger Miles was able to wrest the gun out of William’s hands. A short struggle ensued, which resulted in William stabbing Miles in the neck with a kitchen knife. Alarmed neighbors called the police at the sound of the shots being fired, and the first patrol car arrived on the scene three minutes later and found Miles dead on his kitchen floor. Initial forensic evidence at the scene found traces of fiber and two used shells and fingerprint on the door frame marked by the victim’s blood. Subsequent examination revealed William’s prints on the murder weapon, a partial print on one of the recovered slug and traces of William’s dead tissue under Miles’ fingers, confirmed through a DNA examination. A neighbor’s security camera placed William’s car a few blocks Miles’ house a few minutes before the incident. Miles, picked up early the following morning, had injuries consistent with a physical struggle. A warranted search of his place of the residence revealed the gun used to shoot Miles.Also recovered was a trench coat with fiber compatible with that found at the scene, and a shard of glass lodged in its lining with a fracture pattern similar to a broken vase found at the scene.
To ensure there is a valid chain of evidence, in this case, the first officer at the scene will have to cordon off the scene and call in the murder. Photographs taken at the site of the crime ensure there is proof crime scene investigators did not interfere with the crime scene. Forensic science technicians would then collect evidence, tag and label it, and package it in secure bags ready for transportation. A duly signed chain of custody form would be used to indicate the officers who handled the evidence and handled its shipping to the state lab. Once at the lab, scientific examination of proof of the crime would be done, and after that it would be placed into the evidence storage.There the forensic officer would sign off for it, and the storage clerk will acknowledge its receipt. From here, any further investigation in the forensic labs will have to follow the same procedure, the forensic lab technician signs for it as he checks it out, and again when he checks it back in. From the evidence storage room, it needs to be taken to court on the day of the trial where, as the prosecutor I will sign it out.
In conclusion, where the chain of evidence follows a strict routine, the possibility of the said evidence being excluded at trial becomes extremely unlikely. Any motions for suppression for the said evidence cannot go through if deviations from this procedure occur. In this way, the trial ensues without the exclusion of any evidence on technicalities or due to its mishandling or contamination. The chain of evidence therefore ensures all the relevant evidence collected in the case makes it way to court and is interrogated there, as it should be.