Finished Sketch
Definition
Off-scene drawing made later, to scale, with legend and compass. The courtroom version.
- Production
- Made off-scene, after the fact
- Scale
- Drawn to scale
- Required elements
- Legend and compass
- Use
- Courtroom presentation version
Common questions
How does a finished sketch differ from the rough sketch made at the scene?+
The rough sketch is drawn quickly on-scene with approximate proportions and working notes, while the finished sketch is redrawn later to accurate scale with a formal legend and north arrow, prepared specifically to be shown to a court or jury.
Why must the finished sketch stay tied to the original rough sketch and measurements?+
Because it is redrawn later rather than made live at the scene, its accuracy depends entirely on faithfully transferring the original field measurements, so investigators keep the rough sketch on record to verify the finished version against.
Related terms
- Rough Sketch
- On-scene freehand drawing with measurements, not drawn to scale. Made in the duty diary in pen, never erased.
- Scene Log
- The contemporaneous record of every person entering and exiting the inner cordon, with time stamps and roles; the foundational chain-of-custody document for...
- Three-Tier Perimeter
- The cordoning standard. An inner cordon around the body and evidence, a middle cordon around the search area, an outer cordon around...
- Triangulation
- Comparing independent quantitative and qualitative findings on the same research question to check whether they converge, add to each other, or contradict.