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Charged with crime, working in evidence storage?

  • 20-07-2016 7:41am
    #1
    y0ssar1an22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,750 ✭✭✭✭


    Supposing you are a some sort of criminal but are also a cop who works in evidence storage.
    Could you ever be convicted of a crime based on the evidence in the evidence-storage facility where you work?
    Because the charged would be able to tamper with the evidence, would the evidence become inadmissible?


Comments

  • #2
    MarkR
    Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 11,183 Mod ✭✭✭✭MarkR


    Have you been watching too much Dexter? :D I'm sure if there was any active investigation involving someone working with access to confidential items, they would be moved to other duties. Why, do you think otherwise? Common sense really, what would be the barrier to them being moved?


  • #3
    y0ssar1an22
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,750 ✭✭✭✭y0ssar1an22


    MarkR wrote: »
    Have you been watching too much Dexter? :D I'm sure if there was any active investigation involving someone working with access to confidential items, they would be moved to other duties. Why, do you think otherwise? Common sense really, what would be the barrier to them being moved?

    But if the cop wasn't a suspect at all. 6 months later cop becomes a suspect, but would have had ample time to mess with the evidence?

    Inspired by some movie where a jumper is switched out for another in evidence storage. Think a broken button on the original gave the game away. Triple 9 maybe?


  • #4
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,643 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    y0ssar1an22 wrote: »
    Inspired by some movie where a jumper is switched out for another in evidence storage. Think a broken button on the original gave the game away.

    Sounds like Limitless episode 14 where Brian distracted the cop guarding the evidence locker long enough to be able to swap Morra's coat with the broken button and blood stains.


  • #5
    plodder
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,556 ✭✭✭plodder


    Not quite the same, but there was a case in Boston a few years ago where a worker in a state forensic lab was found to have tampered with evidence. It ended up with hundreds of convictions bring overturned.


  • #6
    MarkAnthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,934 ✭✭✭MarkAnthony


    I love the way people think there is some sort of evidence storage facility and that this stuff just isn't thrown into a locker like we're a third-world banana republic; or that we keep evidence for any length of time post conviction or that there is any sort of consistency from one barracks to another.


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  • #7
    MarkR
    Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 11,183 Mod ✭✭✭✭MarkR


    y0ssar1an22 wrote: »
    But if the cop wasn't a suspect at all. 6 months later cop becomes a suspect, but would have had ample time to mess with the evidence?

    Inspired by some movie where a jumper is switched out for another in evidence storage. Think a broken button on the original gave the game away. Triple 9 maybe?

    Once that person does become a suspect, and is known to be a part of the chain of evidence, it's likely that any defense would use this against the prosecution.

    I'm just saying this a member of joe public of course. This should be the case, unless shown otherwise. Or is on tv...


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