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2003 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Handbook of Forensic Services, FBI Laboratory Division Publication, Criminal Evidence Collection and Handling Guidelines and Procedures (Ringbound)
2003 Federal Bureau of Investigation Handbook of Forensic Services FBI Laboratory Division Publication Criminal Evidence Collection and Handling Guidelines and Procedures - FBI - Ringbound Author:Federal Bureau of Investigation This is a reproduction of an important document produced by the FBI Laboratory Division, the Handbook of Forensic Services. The purpose of the Handbook of Forensic Services is to provide guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting, preserving, packaging, and shipping evidence and to describe the forensic examinations ... more »performed by the FBI?s Laboratory Division and Investigative Technology Division. FBI Forensic Services The successful investigation and prosecution of crimes require, in most cases, the collection, preservation, and forensic analysis of evidence. Forensic analysis of evidence is often crucial to determinations of guilt or innocence. The FBI has one of the largest and most comprehensive forensic laboratories in the world. The forensic services of the FBI Laboratory Division and the Investigative Technology Division are available to the following: FBI field offices and Legal Attachés; U.S. attorneys, military tribunals, and other federal agencies for civil and criminal matters; State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States and territorial possessions for criminal matters. All forensic services, including expert witness testimonies, are rendered free of cost; however, the following limitations apply: No examination will be conducted on evidence that has been previously subjected to the same type of examination. Exceptions may be granted when there are reasons for a reexamination. These reasons should be explained in separate letters from the director of the laboratory that conducted the original examination, the prosecuting attorney, and the investigating agency. No request for an examination will be accepted from laboratories having the capability of conducting the examination. Exceptions may be granted upon approval of the FBI Laboratory Assistant Director or a designee. No testimony will be furnished if testimony on the same subject and in the same case is provided for the prosecution by another expert. No request for an examination will be accepted from a nonfederal law enforcement agency in civil matters. Violent Crime Versus Property Crime - The FBI accepts evidence related to all crimes under investigation by FBI field offices; however, it only accepts evidence related to violent crime investigations from state and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI does not routinely accept evidence in cases involving property crimes from state and local law enforcement agencies unless there was personal injury or intent to cause personal injury. These guidelines help to ensure that the FBI continues to provide timely forensic assistance to law enforcement agencies investigating crimes of violence or threatened violence. At the discretion of the FBI Laboratory Assistant Director or a designee, the FBI may accept evidence from property crime cases. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and should not be regarded as setting a precedent for future case acceptance. All accepted cases will be afforded the full range of forensic services provided by the FBI. Evidence examination guidelines provided include: Abrasives; Adhesives; Anthropology; Arson; Audio; Bank Security Dyes; Building Materials; Bullet Jacket Alloys; Bullet Leads; Caulks; Chemical Unknowns; Computers; Controlled Substances; Cords; Crime Scene Surveys; Documentation, and Reconstruction; Cryptanalysis; Disaster Squad; DNA; Electronic Devices; Explosives; Explosives Residue; Facial Imaging; Feathers; Fibers; Firearms; Glass; Gunshot Residue; Hairs; Image Analysis; Inks; Latent Prints; Lubricants; Metallurgy; Missing Persons; Paints; Pepper Sprays or Foams; Pharmaceuticals; Polymers; Product Tampering; Questioned Documents; Racketeering Records; Ropes; Safe Insulations; Sealants; Serial Numbers; Shoeprints; Soils; Tapes; Tire Treads; Toolmarks; Toxicology; Videos; Weapons of Mass Destruction; Woods.« less