Throughout history, health care professionals have been called upon to assist the legal system in the prosecution of cases where patient care overlaps with the law and physiological realities collide' (Lynch 1995).  Due to the nature of the patient and setting, emergency personnel will inevitably care for "victims of violence". Domestic violence injuries, abuse and neglect in the elderly and young, the addictive client seeking emergency care, the sexual assault victim, and sufferers of occupational injuries, are but a few of the cases that would be classified in the forensic arena. Holistic care dictates looking after the patient as a whole. The nurse must meet the patient's physical and psychosocial needs. The forensic nurse ensures that the patient's civil and constitutional rights are also met. This forensic health care role can be achieved and strengthened by recognizing potential evidence and maintaining a "chain of custody" of this evidence.