Title: Chain of Custody and Why It Is Important in a Criminal Case — #LadyJustice Speaks
Headings: Chain of Custody and Why It Is Important in a Criminal Case
Chain of Custody and Why It Is Important in a Criminal Case
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Challenging Chain of Custody in a Criminal Case
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Content: Chain of Custody and Why It Is Important in a Criminal Case — #LadyJustice Speaks
Chain of Custody and Why It Is Important in a Criminal Case
August 26th, 2020
Chain of custody refers to the documentation that establishes a record of the control, transfer, and disposition of evidence in a criminal case. Evidence in a criminal case may include DNA samples, photographs, documents, personal property, or bodily fluids that were taken from a defendant or discovered at the scene of an alleged crime. To prove someone guilty, a prosecutor must prove that the evidence presented in court is the same evidence that was recovered at the scene of an alleged crime. They must be able to show that the evidence was handled properly and was not contaminated or tampered with. If law enforcement does not properly handle evidence, the evidence can be challenged on the grounds that it was tampered with, that test results are faulty or inaccurate, or that evidence was planted at the scene of a crime. Because criminal prosecutions rely on evidence gathered by police officers, it is typically prosecutors who must establish chain of custody. Proving chain of custody can be difficult. If law enforcement does not do it correctly, chain of custody can be successfully challenged in a criminal case. Challenging chain of custody can be a successful defense strategy to eliminate evidence that might be used to convict a defendant. A defense lawyer who successfully challenges the chain of custody can ask to have evidence declared inadmissible.