The Importance Of Forensic Evidence

1 INTRODUCTION

Forensic evidence, is a body of factual material generated by application of a wide spectrum of the forensic sciences, to serve as evidence in criminal prosecutions or civil litigation [1]. Type of evidence could include: hair, fiber, ballistics and tool marks, soil, glass and paint, footwear and tire impressions, fingerprints, blood spatter, DNA, and forensic anthropology and entomology [2].

For forensic evidence to be admissible in court, it must conform to all regulations and statues in nature and the manner in which the evidence was obtained and managed. Reyes and Wiles [3] sums the requirement of evidence admissibility into two: evidences integrity and authenticity. Integrity of an evidence refers to the quality of being

Many studies [5] [6] [7] have pointed out that any break in the chain of custody opens the prosecution to allegations that the evidence has been tampered with or other evidence substituted for it. They must be provision of a complete documented account of the progress of an item of evidence since its recovery from a crime scene. If this cannot be adequately demonstrated, the evidence in question may be ruled inadmissible by the court [1].

The good approach to keep pace with volumes of evidence information, it is important for Forensic laboratories to leverage technology to enhance the productivity and accountability of their examiners and overall operations.

This study is aimed at developing a Forensic Evidence Information Management System. The main focus is to ensure accountability for evidence chain of custody, collects and associates scientific analysis for evidence submitted, provides query and statistical reporting and generates documentation for use in criminal proceedings.

1.1 Background

The admissibility or inadmissibility of trial information, whether eyewitness testimony, photographs, physical objects, or scientifically-generated information, such as DNA, is determined by the trial court’s application of the rules of Evidence [1]. The proof that this set of evidentiary rules were followed is through documentation of the progress of an item of evidence since its recovery from a crime scene up to its presentation in court.

3.2 Relevant Technology

3.2.1 Model View Controller

The system for this project will be developed using the Model View Controller (MVC) architectural design pattern. According to Stelting and Maassen cited by Dooley [9] the idea behind design patterns is to develop a standardized way to represent general solutions to commonly encountered problems.

The MVC architectural pattern divides an interactive application into three components. The model contains the core functionality and data. Views display information to the user. Controllers handle user input