Chain Of Custody Essay Example
Chain Of Custody Essay Example

Chain Of Custody Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (365 words)
  • Published: February 23, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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Chain of Custody refers to the rigorous documentation process which tracks the gathering, handling, distribution, analysis, and disposal of physical or non-physical evidence. It is crucial for maintaining proper control over evidence to avoid potential accusations of tampering or malpractice. Such allegations could significantly weaken a prosecution's case and might result in dismissal of charges or reversal of judgments on appeal.

While browsing the internet, I came across a contested case related to chain of custody. It specifically mentioned case 09-5446 United States v. Knowles. The accused was convicted for sexually exploiting a minor and possessing explicit materials involving children. On May 8, 2007, a grand jury from the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee officially charged Knowles with the

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se crimes. Tiffany Mosley offered evidence at the trial suggesting she had been romantically involved with Knowles who also happened to be her half-brother - they have the same biological father - during the period when these alleged incidents occurred.

He lived with her and her four children in their Memphis, Tennessee home between 2004 and 2007. The situation involved one of Ms. Mosley's daughters, who was around 11 or 12 years old at the time the offences were committed. On Easter Sunday in 2007, Ms. Mosley found a camcorder in the glove box of the Tacoma truck they both used regularly. The Defendant owned recorded footage on this device. After watching this recording, she recognized a nude adult woman inside a hotel room from some past encounter feature in it. Further into the video, it showed scenes of her daughter wearing only a white top and socks.

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The video depicted an adult male's hand inappropriately touching her daughter, and the familiar voice of the accused was also heard. She was able to recognize the filming location as her own living room. Both Mrs. Mosley and the FBI made copies of this video, as the original was damaged and couldn't be played back later. The accused attempted to challenge this, claiming that the duplicate wasn't exactly like the original, and some sections were removed to frame him further. However, this claim was dismissed after a witness testified that all copies were identical to the initial recording.

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