Section 10.41 Fingerprints

• Library: Criminal Practice 2012 Supp

1. (§10.41) Fingerprints

The following is an article that counsel may find useful.

Ten Facts About Digital Fingerprints by Mary Defusco of the Philadelphia Defenders, Michael Cherry, and Larry Meyer

1. The current fingerprint standard for points-of-similarity is based on inked fingerprints. Most prints now in use are “dry” prints, i.e.: taken without ink and rolled dry over a fingerprint scanner. These are digitized fingerprints. Also, latent crime scene prints and print fragments are often digitized, using digital, not film, technology. Digital images, although they may appear to be perfectly clear, are not as sharp or clear as either the original inked print or a film photo of it. They tend to miss exclusions which by default results in more points-of-similarity. Until the current fingerprint standard is corrected, several individuals could be matched...