What does chain of custody refer to?

• A. A summary of the case law related to evidence
• B. A documented, unbroken trail of evidence from collection to presentation
• C. A log of all officers involved in the case
• D. A warrant file kept in a secure location

Answer: (B)

Chain of custody means maintaining an auditable, unbroken record of who has handled a piece of evidence, where it has been, and how it has been stored, from the moment it is collected to when it is presented in court. This keeps evidence authentic and untampered, because every transfer, handling step, and storage condition is documented. If the chain is broken or poorly documented, the evidence can be challenged or deemed inadmissible because its integrity cannot be verified.

In practice, this includes proper tagging and sealing of the item, a clear log of each person who handles it, time and location stamps, and secure storage with controlled access. The other descriptions don’t capture that ongoing control of the physical item: one describes legal research on case law, another a roster of officers, and another a file of warrants. None of those ensure the continuous possession and integrity of the evidence from collection through presentation.