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A sealed glass vial containing a single fiber sample recovered from a suspect’s jacket is seized during a surveillance operation. The vial is placed in a tamper‑evident bag and sealed by Officer A, who initials the bag. The seal’s unique number is recorded in the custody log, but the time of sealing is not. The bag is entrusted to a civilian courier who delivers it to the city crime laboratory. At the laboratory, technicians open the bag, transfer the fiber to a new sealed envelope, and log the new seal number and sealing time. The original vial remains in the police property room. The lab prepares a report describing the fiber’s characteristics and uses it to claim a link to the suspect. The defense objects that the chain of custody is broken because (i) the sealing time was not recorded and (ii) a civilian courier was used without a formal custody‑audit trail. The People seek to admit the fiber as real evidence. (a) Identify the controlling doctrine. (b) Distinguish the elements required to establish chain of custody and assess whether the facts demonstrate a complete chain. (c) Apply to the facts: is the fiber admissible as real evidence? what steps could cure any gaps?