P1 R1

200 word response 1 reference/intext citation

Due 1/24/2025

Post 1

Robinson

Class characteristics are characteristics shared by all objects or members of a class. However, physical evidence possessing just class characteristics cannot be linked to a single source, as class traits are common across all members of that class (Ogle, 2012). This indicates they cannot identify a particular object or someone as having been present at the crime scene. This can be a significant limitation in evidence analysis during criminal investigations as it cannot produce a specific match or individual identification; it can just narrow down a list of likely sources. Investigators may be misled, leading to wrongful convictions, if they rely too much on class characteristics. For example, an apple left at a crime scene with a bite mark from the suspect can only be linked to the batch of apples it was taken from. It is unable to identify that specific apple. Only if the suspect is shown to be the one who ate the apple can the bite mark be used as an individual characteristic.

An example where relying on class characteristics alone could lead to complications or misdirection in an investigation is when using glass fragments from the headlamp of a car involved in a hit-and-run accident. The fragments from the headlamp may match many cars. As such, without more evidence, investigators may accuse innocent individuals whose vehicles have similar headlamps or headlamps made of the same type of glass.