▁often ▁much ▁shorter ▁which ▁means ▁evidence ▁can ▁be ▁processed ▁for ▁court ▁much ▁faster . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁also ▁sometimes ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁fields ▁of ▁history , ▁art ▁history , ▁and ▁arch ives ▁as ▁a ▁syn onym ▁for ▁proven ance ▁( mean ing ▁the ▁chron ology ▁of ▁the ▁ownership , ▁cust ody ▁or ▁location ▁of ▁a ▁historical ▁object , ▁document ▁or ▁group ▁of ▁documents ), ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁factor ▁in ▁determ ining ▁authentic ity . ▁ ▁C riminal ▁cases ▁When ▁evidence ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁court ▁to ▁conv ict ▁persons ▁of ▁cr imes , ▁it ▁must ▁be ▁handled ▁in ▁a ▁sc rup ul ously ▁careful ▁manner ▁to ▁prevent ▁tam per ing ▁or ▁cont am ination . ▁The ▁idea ▁behind ▁recording ▁the ▁chain ▁of ▁cust ody ▁is ▁to ▁establish ▁that ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁evidence ▁is ▁in ▁fact ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁crime , ▁rather ▁than ▁having , ▁for ▁example , ▁been ▁" pl anted " ▁fra ud ul ently ▁to ▁make ▁someone ▁appear ▁guilty . ▁ ▁Est ab lish ing ▁chain ▁of ▁cust ody ▁is ▁made ▁of ▁both ▁a ▁chron ological ▁and ▁logical ▁procedure , ▁especially ▁important ▁when ▁the ▁evidence ▁consists ▁of ▁fung ible ▁goods . ▁In ▁practice , ▁this ▁most ▁often ▁applies ▁to ▁illegal ▁dru gs ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁seized ▁by ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁personnel . ▁In ▁such ▁cases , ▁the ▁def endant ▁at ▁times ▁disc laim s ▁any ▁knowledge ▁of ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁controlled ▁subst ance ▁in ▁question . ▁According ly , ▁the ▁chain ▁of ▁cust ody ▁documentation ▁and