CID 311A Special Agent flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Corpus Delicti

The body of the offense: proof that a crime actually occurred, independent of any confession. It must be established before a confession alone can support a conviction.

Reasonable Suspicion

A particularized and objective basis, supported by specific facts, for suspecting that a person has committed or is about to commit a crime. It authorizes a brief investigative stop.

Modus Operandi

The learned, repeated behavior an offender uses to commit a crime successfully. It can change as the offender gains experience and is analyzed separately from signature behavior.

Article 31(b) Rights

UCMJ provision requiring that a suspect be informed of the nature of the accusation and the right to remain silent and to counsel before custodial questioning by military or DoD personnel.

Article 120 Sexual Assault

UCMJ offense requiring proof of a sexual act, lack of lawful consent, and the required intent. Consent is assessed on the totality of circumstances, including incapacity.

Article 15 Nonjudicial Punishment

An administrative disciplinary measure for minor misconduct. It requires notice, an opportunity to present matters, and appeal rights, and is not a criminal conviction.

Consent Search

A warrantless search permitted when a person with actual or apparent authority gives voluntary consent. Consent must be voluntary under the totality of circumstances and is limited to the scope granted.

Plain View Doctrine

Permits warrantless seizure of evidence when the officer is lawfully present, the incriminating character of the item is immediately apparent, and the officer has lawful access to it.

Exclusionary Rule

Bars the prosecution from using evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Exceptions include inevitable discovery, attenuation, and independent source.

Chain of Custody

A documented record of every person who handled an item of evidence, with dates, times, locations, and purposes, used to prove the item is authentic and unaltered.

Biological Evidence Packaging

Biological evidence should be air-dried and packaged in paper, never sealed damp in plastic. Heat, sunlight, and moisture degrade DNA and promote bacterial growth.

Hash Value Integrity

A cryptographic digest such as SHA-256 computed over digital evidence. Matching hashes before and after analysis demonstrate that the data was not altered.

Spoliation

The loss, destruction, or alteration of evidence. Investigators must document all handling and preservation steps to rebut claims of bad faith or negligence.

First Responder Scene Duties

Render aid, secure and preserve the scene, detain witnesses, identify and separate suspects, start a scene log, and limit entry to essential personnel.

Triangulation Sketch Method

A scene sketching technique that locates evidence by measuring from two fixed reference points. It is used when a baseline or rectangular coordinate method is impractical.

Contamination Control

Measures such as gloves changed between items, single-use tools, separate packaging, and collection of reference standards that prevent transfer of material between evidence items.

Cognitive Interview

A witness interviewing technique that reinstates context, asks for everything remembered, changes perspective, and reverses the order of recall to improve memory retrieval.

Custody Determination

Custody exists when a reasonable person would not feel free to leave. Custody plus interrogation requires Miranda warnings before questioning.

Double-Blind Sequential Lineup

An identification procedure in which the administrator does not know which lineup member is the suspect and members are shown one at a time to reduce suggestion and relative judgment.

Voluntariness of Confession

A confession is admissible only if voluntary. Coercion, threats, and promises of leniency render a statement involuntary and inadmissible.

Intelligence Cycle

The iterative process of planning and direction, collection, processing, analysis and production, dissemination, and evaluation used to turn raw information into usable intelligence.

Link Analysis

A charting method that maps relationships among persons, places, and events to reveal associations and support investigative hypotheses.

Geographic Profiling

An investigative technique estimating an offender's likely residence area from crime locations and travel behavior. It is an investigative aid, not evidence.

Tactical Crime Analysis

Analysis focused on immediate patterns, series, and trends to support patrol and investigative deployment decisions in the short term.

Article 6b Victim Rights

UCMJ provision granting crime victims rights including notification, protection, restitution, and the right to be present at proceedings.

Trauma-Informed Practice

An approach prioritizing safety, choice, and collaboration with victims, avoiding repeated questioning that can re-traumatize and degrade recall.

Mandatory Reporting

Legal requirement that designated personnel report suspected child abuse or neglect to designated authorities, regardless of the victim's or family's wishes.

Brady Disclosure

Constitutional obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence to the defense. Giglio extends this to impeachment material about government witnesses.

Conflicts of Interest

Personal, financial, or familial relationships that could bias an investigation. They must be disclosed and typically require reassignment.

Graham Objective Reasonableness

Standard for evaluating use of force under the Fourth Amendment, judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene under the totality of circumstances.

Lay Opinion Testimony

Testimony limited to opinions rationally based on the witness's perception and helpful to the factfinder. Expert testimony requires separate qualification.

Case File Components

The offense report, investigative supplements, evidence inventory, witness statements, photographs, laboratory results, and disposition record that document an investigation.