Evidence is usually submitted to the laboratory either by personal delivery or by mail shipment. The distance the submitting agency must travel to the laboratory and the urgency of the case will usually determine the method of transmittal. If personal delivery of the evidence is undertaken, the deliverer should be someone who is familiar with [...]

The forensic document examination of evidence, whether it is soil, blood, glass, hair, fibers, and so on, often requires comparison with a known standard or control. Although most investigators have little difficulty in recognizing and collecting relevant crime scene evidence, few seem aware of the like necessity and importance of providing the crime lab with [...]

Whenever a continuity of possession, or the chain of custody the evidence is presented in court as an exhibit. Adherence to standard procedures in recording the location of evidences marking it for identification, and properly completing evidence submission forms for laboratory analysis are the best guarantee that the evidence will withstand inquiries of what happened [...]

Physical evidence must be handled and processed in a way that prevents any change from taking place between the time it is removed from the crime scene and the time it is received by the crime laboratory. Changes can arise through contamination, breakage, evaporation, accidental scratching or bending, or loss through improper or careless packaging.

The search for physical evidence at a crime scene must be thorough and systematic. For a factual, unbiased reconstruction of the crime, the investigator, through his or her training and experience, must not overlook any pertinent evidence. Even in those cases in which suspects are immediately seized and the motives and circumstances of the crime [...]

It is the responsibility of the first officer arriving on the crime scene to take procedures to preserve and protect the area to the greatest extent possible. First priority should be even to obtaining medical assistance for individuals in need of it and to arresting the perpetrator. As soon as it is possible, broad efforts [...]

Physical evidence covers any and all objects that can establish that a crime has been committed or can provide a connection between a crime and its victim or a crime and its suspect. If physical evidence is to be effectively used for assisting the investigator, its presence first must be recognized at the crime scene. [...]

Investigators will have only a limited amount of time to work a crime site in its untouched state. The chance for Forensic Document Examination in its original state must not be lost. Such Forensic Document Examination will not only prove useful during the succeeding investigation but are also required for presentation at a trial in [...]