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Evidence

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Case 1
The court ruled the State failed to show that the items seized were the same items tested because the description of the items by the chemist did not match exactly the description given by the arresting officer. The court also held the State did not establish proof of handling, delivery, presence and safekeeping, which were necessary to establishing chain of custody. To avoid this result the police should always properly document the evidence and who has control of the evidence by using badge numbers and names on the forms provided for the evidence.

Case 4
The defendant did intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly cause bodily injury to Shelby Hooper by biting her.At trial, the State introduced evidence that the police were dispatched to a hotel room that had recently been the scene of an altercation between appellant and Hooper. Hysterical and crying, Hooper told the officers that appellant had struck her with his fists and bitten her. Consistent with Hooper's statements, officers observed a cut on her lip and bite marks on her back and buttocks. After admitting, during questioning, that he had hit Hooper in the head with a closed fist, appellant was arrested. Hooper testified for the defense. She stated that she had provided the police with a misleading picture of what really occurred on the evening of the alleged assault. With regard to the allegation that appellant hit her with his hand, she claimed that she was the aggressor that evening and that appellant was simply defending himself. With regard to the bite allegation, she denied that she was bitten on August 9th and claimed that the bite marks on her body were actually the result of “love bites” that were a part of consensual sexual activity occurring on the prior evening. The issue with the case is that police and prosecution couldnt

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