ABSTRACT
Documentation of the crime scene is truly the most critical element of scene processing. Without good documentation, it is often difficult to explain or make understandable to a jury any observation made by the crime scene investigator (CSI). Without good documentation, it can be difficult if not impossible, to weather a well-thought-out cross examination. If there is no supporting documentation that clearly and concisely demonstrates the points the crime scene technician is trying to make, counsel will effectively argue that the CSI was mistaken. Documenting the condition of the scene is a core element of proving what did or did not happen at the scene. Without proper documentation, it may be impossible for even the investigators to arrive at a conclusion regarding what did or did not occur. Unfortunately, documentation of the scene is one of the least understood processes of crime scene examination, which routinely results in an incredibly poor documentation product.
