What is included in class evidence?

Class evidence refers to materials or information that can be associated with a group rather than a single individual. It helps to establish links between the evidence and a broader category. Glass fragments are considered class evidence because they can be matched to a particular type or source of glass but cannot uniquely identify an individual or specific instance.

For example, while glass from a broken window could potentially match the glass found at a crime scene, it does not tell you exactly which window it came from or implicate a specific individual in the act. Instead, it can show that the glass share characteristics with that of specific windows from a factory or particular brand.

In contrast, fingerprints, hair samples, and semen have the potential for individualization. Fingerprints are unique to each individual, allowing for specific identification. Similarly, while hair samples can sometimes be linked to a particular individual when DNA testing is available, if only class characteristics are considered, they are less definitive. Semen, when analyzed and matched with DNA profiles, can also uniquely identify an individual. Thus, glass fragments are appropriately categorized as class evidence because they belong to a larger group characterized by certain shared attributes rather than identifying a single source.