After reading this chapter you will be able to:

• Discuss the qualities that evidence must have in order for it to be admissible in court.
• Explain the chain of custody, its purpose, and why it is important.
• Discuss the role of arrest warrants and search warrants in the criminal investigation process.
• Discuss the exceptions to the search warrant requirement.
• Define the exclusionary rule and explain its impact on criminal investigations and the criminal justice process.
• Identify the ways the police may attempt to “get around” the Fourth Amendment.
• Define interrogation from the perspective of the Fifth Amendment.
• Identify the Miranda warnings and describe circumstances under which the police must notify suspects of their Miranda rights.
• Discuss the impact of the Miranda requirement on criminal investigations and the criminal justice process.