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| Chain Of Custody |
Evidence is the critical part of any criminal investigation and maintaining the integrity of that evidence is even more critical
From crime scene to court, evidence travels under the supervision of authorized personnel. Although rare, there might be a chance that the court suspends the evidence on account of being tampered with. Collecting the evidence and making them reach the court is not a joke, which is why the chain of custody is essential.
What Is a Chain Of Custody?
● Date, place and time of collecting the evidence.
● The reason why the evidence was collected? And its relevance to the case
● The responsible investigator or forensic expert who collected the evidence
● Signature of the people who were in possession of the evidence
● The manner in which the evidence was collected, preserved, controlled and transferred to the court.
Why Chain Of Custody is Important In A Criminal Case?
It Is Not Easy To Recover Evidences
Criminals are vicious. No one would leave a single footprint behind that is easily visible and can get them in trouble. The legal investigators and forensic experts must think ahead of them. While not everything present on/nearby the crime scene is the evidence, it requires keen insight and the intellect of the legal investigators and forensic experts to recover even the slightest clue that might solve the case.
Chain of custody is the only acceptable document to track the handling and control of that evidence. Based on this, the evidence proceeds in court.
Judiciary Relies Solely On Evidence
No judge is allowed to investigate the case personally. So, the judges and juries rely entirely on the evidence while evaluating the case and dictating the fate of convicts and innocents. Delivering life-changing decisions based on tampered evidence will undermine the integrity of the entire judicial system.
Chain Of Custody Could Be Challenged In Court
As per the provision, the defendant can challenge the chain of custody of a piece of evidence by accusing that the evidence is not the same as that collected from the crime scene. If there are loopholes or discrepancies in the entries of the chain of custody, the evidence will be considered inadmissible. The evidence thereon shall not be regarded as serviceable in the court.
At Last
Almost all criminal cases require forensic expertise for postmortem toxicology, DNA matching forensics, poison test, or other sample analysis, which needs to be preserved via a chain of custody. The Carlson company, with its team of forensic experts, helps you complete the chain of custody for the ultimate decision via a simple Chain of Custody form with mandatory entries. Samples and results via the chain of custody forms could be presented as evidence in the court for justice.
For in-depth assistance, contact the Carlson Company.
Watch the full video about chain of custody
Reference - Chain Of Custody - Solving Crime Cases With Genuine Evidence
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