4: Criminal Investigation
- Page ID
- 35580
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- 4.1: Overview, Objectives, and Key Terms
- This page highlights the significance of fair criminal investigations aligned with procedural rules to guarantee admissible evidence. It reviews various evidence types, including their probative values, and addresses criminal and racial profiling. Additionally, the chapter discusses the use and controversies of Terry Stops, an investigatory tool utilized by police, emphasizing the importance of these components for maintaining judicial integrity.
- 4.2: Critical Thinking
- This page discusses eyewitness testimony as direct evidence in legal contexts, evaluating the weight of direct versus circumstantial evidence in trials. It covers criminal profiling, its reliability and limitations, and addresses concerns regarding racial profiling in technology. Additionally, the page examines Terry Stops in the context of the Fourth Amendment.
- 4.3: Introduction to Criminal Investigation
- This page emphasizes the vital role of police and law enforcement in evidence collection for criminal trials, highlighting the necessity of respecting suspects' rights and following proper procedures to avoid wrongful convictions or evidence exclusion. It stresses the importance of fairness and justice in the criminal court system and the responsibility of officers to maintain these principles during legal processes.
- 4.4: Collecting Evidence
- This page covers essential aspects of criminal investigations and the types of evidence crucial for court proceedings. It highlights the importance of collecting and properly handling evidence to prevent wrongful convictions. Inculpatory evidence supports allegations, while exculpatory evidence suggests innocence; both must be objectively collected. It emphasizes the significance of corroborative evidence and proper disclosure.
- 4.5: Criminal Profiling
- This page discusses criminal profiling as a law enforcement tool for identifying suspects through crime scene evidence and offender behavior. Evolving since the late 1800s, it incorporates methods like predictive profiling and behavioral analysis. While useful for narrowing suspect lists, it relies on probabilities, leading to controversy regarding its reliability and validity in court.
- 4.6: Racial Profiling
- This page examines racial profiling and its reliance on race or ethnicity for criminal suspicion. It raises concerns about law enforcement's use of face recognition technology, citing research that shows increased error rates for darker-skinned females versus lighter-skinned males. While companies like IBM and Microsoft are working to combat these biases, significant challenges and inequities persist in law enforcement's application of these technologies.
- 4.7: Terry Stops
- This page covers the Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, which permits police to stop and frisk based on reasonable suspicion. It differentiates lawful criminal profiling from racial profiling, highlighting the latter as police misconduct. The page reviews related cases about profiling and the Fourth Amendment, underscores the significance of understanding criminal thinking, and discusses the societal implications and complexities of law enforcement practices and their legal justifications.
- 4.8: A Critical Look at Terry Stops
- This page discusses Stop and Frisk, a police practice allowing brief detentions of suspected armed individuals without warrants, highlighting its criticism for disproportionately targeting young Black and Latino males. It presents debates on its legality under the Fourth Amendment and references varying Supreme Court rulings. Supporters claim it reduces crime, while critics argue it doesn't effectively lower crime rates and leads to unconstitutional practices due to low suspicion standards.


