What defines the characteristics of class evidence?

Class evidence is defined by its ability to be associated with a group rather than a single individual or source. This means that while class evidence can be linked to a group of items or individuals that share common characteristics, it does not provide definitive identification to a specific source. For example, fibers from a specific type of clothing or paint chips from a vehicle could fall under class evidence, as they may be common to many items of that same type.

The focus on group identification rather than individual source lends itself to the utility of class evidence in investigations. It can help narrow down the field of suspects or sources but will not directly pinpoint a single culprit or origin, which is one of the significant distinctions between class evidence and individual evidence that can be traced to a unique source.

The other types of evidence mentioned, such as unique identifiers or specific traits, pertain to individual evidence instead of class evidence. These characteristics help forensic professionals understand the nature of evidence encountered in criminal investigations, differentiating between what can be broadly categorized and what is unique to an individual.