Photography

Introduction

OVERVIEW

Crime scene photography is one of the most important aspects of documenting crime scenes and evidence. Photographs are often used as courtroom exhibits to support witnesses’ testimony and to prove or disprove issues or theories before the court. Because of their value as court exhibits, the crime scene photographer’s goal should be to take photographs that meet the requirements for admissibility.

OBJECTIVES

In this chapter you will learn about:

1. The value of crime scene and evidence photography
2. The admissibility of photographic evidence in court
3. Testifying in court
4. Becoming an expert witness

THE VALUE OF CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY

It was a fairly quiet evening in the dispatch center until all at once the 9-1-1 calls started coming in. The callers reported hearing men shouting, then screams and someone calling out for help. The police responded to find a bleeding man with several wounds caused by some type of cutting instrument. The victim said he was