Avoiding Obstructions of Justice

This presentation will address common pitfalls in forensics that emergency physicians may encounter in their clinical practice. The presentation will discuss issues with chains of custody, toolmarks, incisions vs lacerations, preserving trace evidence, and gunshot wounds. The presentation will discuss how an emergency physician's documentation can cause conflict in the courtroom and create additional hurdles for the prosecution seeking justice for the patient. This will be a brief presentation for emergency physician to gain some forensic knowledge in caring for victims of criminal enterprise.