Sir, are you repaired to cite to this jury any reference in the forensic science literature for the proposition that items should always be air dried at the scene when the cloth swatch technique was used to collect a dry stain?

Am I prepared to tell you where to look this up? Is that what you are asking? A printed reference?

Yeah. Did you bring a citation with you where you can say this person on this date and this journal wrote that when you use the cloth swatch technique you must always air dry at the scene?

I don't know of any. What we just read in Dr. Lee and the other author's books I think said that, and I believe there was something in the book you read from from doctor--from Barry Fisher, but I don't know if it is.

Well, can you point out for us where?

Okay.

I don't know if it used the word "Always."

In fact they said "Sometimes," right?

That was the only word that they used with respect to air drying, sometimes you should?

And I believe when you asked me that question before, when you said "Sometimes," I said it depends on the timing and the circumstances.

And would you agree, sir, also, with the proposition that if we look at the forensic science literature and the textbooks as to how a crime scene should be processed, that we could find a variety of opinions on a variety of issues?

Not the basics. In various--I'm sure various authors under certain conditions would recommend some things, but the basic things that I indicated when we began this morning, the--I believe there were five basic rules, and I call those rules, absolutely required functions that must be done at a crime scene always have to occur. If they don't, you have a faulty crime scene.

Exactly. Those four things must occur?

Five.

I thought you said four. Recognition, collection, packaging and then what was the final one that you had mentioned?

Documentation and preservation.

Okay.

Preservation.

All right. As to the items that you referred, although we can find references to those five categories being musts, in terms of how to perform each one of those five categories, can we find differences between recognized forensic scientists in the literature?

I object. That is vague.

Overruled.

Of course, but we could find some variation in terms of how best to document the scene, couldn't we?

Well, I don't know who brought it up, but the videotaping is an example.

Right.

Some--some departments prefer to do--to do still photography and videotaping.

And some don't do either, right?

Oh, I don't know of any that doesn't photograph.

At small crime scenes there are some that don't take any photographs aren't there?

In malicious mischief type of crime scenes.

Or even in some low grade felonies; isn't that true?

Not particularly relevant to this case.

Okay.

Well, sir, isn't it also true that in the area of identifying how best to identify evidence at a crime scene in terms of the techniques to use, there may also be some variation in the forensic literature?

I don't understand the first part of your question.

In terms of what specific technique to use in order to find evidence at a crime scene, there are some differences in the literature, aren't there?

Object. That is vague. He is talking about a specific process.

I think we have sort of gone around this for a while.

Okay.

Yes, your Honor. There was one other thing that I want to get into, but it would require us to approach.