IAIL CFL flashcards

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

Forensic locksmithing definition

Application of lock and key mechanism knowledge to legal questions such as method of entry, lock condition at a given time, and whether a key, pick, or force was used.

Sequential unmasking

Bias-control procedure in which the examiner analyzes and documents physical evidence before learning suspect information or case theory, reducing contextual influence on conclusions.

Competence boundary rule

An examiner offers opinions only within documented training and experience; unfamiliar lock types require research, peer consultation, or declining the examination rather than speculation.

Warded lock identification

A lock using fixed internal wards that block incorrect key blades; security is low and bypass typically uses skeleton-type keys or manipulation rather than pin tumbler techniques.

Lever tumbler lock

A lock with movable levers whose gates must align at the fence before the bolt moves; lever count and gate positions determine the correct key bitting.

Shear line

The boundary between the rotating plug and the stationary shell of a pin tumbler cylinder; all pins must align at this line for the plug to turn.

Wafer lock

A lock using flat wafer tumblers in slots within the plug; single or double sided, often spring-loaded, and identified by a flat keyway and wafer stack.

Tubular lock keyway

A radially pinned lock with a circular keyway around a central post; the cylindrical key blade carries bitting on its circumference rather than on a flat edge.

Security pin types

Spool, serrated, and T-pins that trap the plug during picking; their presence indicates higher security and must be recorded during cylinder examination.

In situ lock documentation

Photographing and noting lock condition, door position, strike alignment, and surroundings before any manipulation, using scale and controlled lighting.

Lock identifying data

Manufacturer, model, keyway stamp, serial or date codes, patent numbers, and finish; these support dating, provenance, and comparison to known exemplars.

Functional lock testing

Documented test of whether the lock operates with its own key, plug rotates freely, pins are intact, and the bolt retracts fully under controlled conditions.

Class versus individual characteristics

Class characteristics are shared design features such as tool width; individual characteristics are microscopic defects unique to a specific tool and support identification.

Sufficiency for identification

Identification requires reproducible corresponding individual characteristics in the same orientation; class agreement alone supports only class-level inclusion or exclusion.

Striation direction reading

Interpreting tool travel from striation morphology, including leading edges, metal flow, and smearing, to establish the direction a tool moved across a surface.

Test mark protocol

Producing comparison marks on material similar in alloy, hardness, and finish, then examining under the same lighting and magnification as the questioned mark.

Lock slipping indicators

Latchbolt retraction by a shim or card between bolt and strike; signs include latch wear and frame flex marks with no cylinder damage.

Bump key evidence

Keys cut to maximum depth, unusual plug wear, and distinctive pin damage patterns suggesting repeated impact-driven pin displacement during a bumping attack.

Drilling indicators

Metal chips inside the cylinder, burr rings at the drill entry, damaged pins, and a plug that turns without a key, indicating a destructive drilling attack.

Forced entry indicators

Bent or spread frames, distorted strike plates, pry marks at the bolt, splintered wood, and deformed deadbolt faceplates showing physical force rather than covert manipulation.

Key decoding procedure

Measuring each cut depth against manufacturer depth and spacing specifications, recording values in thousandths of an inch or millimeters, and noting keyway and blade dimensions.

Master key identification

Determining whether a recovered key is a change key, master key, or grand master by comparing cut depths to the system's top master depths and key control records.

Impressioning blank evidence

A soft-metal or plastic key blank showing progressive, often stepped cuts from trial-and-error fitting, compared to the target lock's cut spacing and depth specifications.

Key wear analysis

Evaluating blade wear patterns and shoulder condition to infer length of use and to associate a key with a lock showing corresponding pin or plug wear.

Scene lock preservation

Securing and photographing doors and locks before opening them, avoiding unnecessary operation, and documenting environmental exposure that could alter evidence.

Chain of custody entries

Item number, description, collector, date and time, location, each transfer recipient, and purpose; unexplained gaps in the record weaken admissibility.

Tamper-evident sealing

Using uniquely numbered seals with initials across the seal, documenting any break and reseal, and returning items to the same container after examination.

Opinion language tiers

Graded conclusion terms such as identified as, consistent with, cannot be excluded, and inconclusive; each tier carries a defined evidentiary meaning.

Forensic report structure

Purpose and authority, items examined, methods and standards, observations, interpretations, opinions, limitations, and dated signature; every conclusion traces to a documented observation.

Voir dire qualification

Questioning of an expert's education, training hours, casework, proficiency testing, publications, and prior testimony to establish or challenge qualification.

Daubert factors

Testability, peer review and publication, known or potential error rate, standards controlling the technique, and general acceptance in the relevant scientific community.

FRE 702 expert testimony

Federal rule allowing an expert qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education to testify if the testimony will help the trier of fact.