How Evidence is Collected and Presented in Criminal Trials

Evidence is the most important thing in criminal trials since it forms the basis on which one will be found either guilty or not.

22:43 03 October 2024

Evidence is the most important thing in criminal trials since it forms the basis on which one will be found either guilty or not. For this reason, evidence has to be collected and presented in the right manner since this is the only way in which justice can be served as well as the entire process of trial being nondiscriminatory. Evidence may be in physical form, statements of witnesses, and forensic reports. The importance of this understanding becomes quite imperative in the understanding of how the whole case of a criminal case would flow. How the evidence collection, handling, and presentation to court are made can explain much about how criminal cases are conducted.

Types of Evidence

There might be many types of evidence that can be used in a criminal trial. In fact, each may serve different purposes in proving facts of a case. Physical evidence could refer to things like weapons, clothes, or other objects that might have something to do with a crime. On the other hand, documentary evidence refers to written, recorded, and otherwise documented information. This would include such things as emails, contracts, or videos. Testimonial evidence is that to which a witness testifies in statements that are first-hand in nature to what was seen, heard, or experienced. Finally, forensic evidence utilizes scientific analysis linking an individual to the crime scene or criminal activity through methods such as DNA testing or matching of fingerprints.

Crime Scene Evidence Collection

Evidence is first collected at the crime scene. The site is often the site where police and forensic people start their work, securing it to avoid contamination. The documentation of the scene would be done by collecting physical items, photography with detailed observation. This chain of custody ensures that the evidence has not been tampered with and can be traced right to its very source. Collection and documentation of evidence must adequately precede its admissibility in court. If any one of the above procedures is not adhered to, then such evidence may be excluded from being admitted, hence weakening the case against a defendant.

Forensic Science

Forensic science is the backbone of modern criminal justice systems and provides scientifically valid techniques for the analysis of evidence. Forensic pathologists, chemists, and DNA analysts are but a few of the professionals in the field who develop an interpretation of the physical evidence available from a crime scene. It is the work of forensic scientists that assists in connecting the evidence to the crime through the use of a method such as blood spatter analysis, toxicology tests, or DNA profiling. Because forensic evidence is based in science it is often considered one of the strongest types of evidence. However, like all evidence the reliability and validity of forensic findings also must be demonstrated in and tested by the court.

Presenting Evidence in Court

Once evidence is collected and processed it also must be presented in court and evaluated by the judge or jury. In a criminal trial, prosecution and the defense shall be allowed to present evidence. Evidence presented by the prosecution is intended to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime, although the goal of the defense is to either impeach or discredit such evidence. Evidence of a criminal lawyer Mississauga might also be in raising questions or doubting the case presented by the prosecution. It may take the form of exhibits, testimony by witnesses, and expert reports-each is permitted only if the item in question passes strict legal standards of admissibility.

Objections to Evidence

Not every piece of evidence gathered makes its way into the courtroom. The defense has an avenue of objection from allowing certain evidence to be present because of illegal acquisition, failure to preserve the evidence properly, or irrelevance to the case. In most cases, this may involve a pre-trial hearing, whereby the judge presiding over that case will make a ruling on the admissibility of such evidence. If in particular cases evidence was acquired through an illegal search or without a proper warrant, the exclusionary rule renders it inadmissible. The admissibility of the evidence decision arrived at by the judge can change the course of the trial substantially and impact on the strength of the prosecution's case.

Evidence collection and presentation are major processes involved in a criminal trial to arrive at proper judgment. From the scene of crime to the presentation of evidence in court, everything is important: from the gathering of evidence at the scene of the crime to the presentation of the same in the court of law. In any case, it could be the integrity of the evidence that makes or breaks a case: credibility will not exist without integrity when making a statement either of acquittal or guilt. Therefore, the more developed the technology and forensic science is, the more developed and underlined will be the importance of reliable evidence in criminal proceedings with regard to its precise handling and presentation at each stage of the process in court.