NCJ Number
58030
Journal
CANADIAN BAR REVIEW Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: (1978) Pages: 440-458
Date Published
1978
Length
19 pages
Annotation
AN EXPLANATION OF HOW CRIMINALS CAN BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH VOICE-PRINTS IS OFFERED, ALONG WITH A HISTORY OF COURT OPINIONS CONCERNING THE ADMISSIBILITY OF THIS PROOF.
Abstract
THE VOICE-PRINT METHOD GRAPHICALLY REPRODUCES HUMAN SOUND WAVES ON A SOUND SPECTOGRAPH BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL IMPULSES. VOICE-PRINT IDENTIFICATION COMPARES THE GRAPHS OF TWO TAPED VOICE SAMPLES--THAT OF AN UNIDENTIFIED AND THAT OF A KNOWN PERSON--TO DETERMINE WHETHER BOTH CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE SAME SPEAKER. ALTHOUGH VOICE PRINT COMPARISON HAS BEEN CLAIMED TO BE AS RELIABLE AS FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION, THE COURTS ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT THIS POSITION. TO ILLUSTRATE THE CONTROVERSY, A SHORT HISTORY TRACES THE EVOLUTION OF VOICE-PRINT FROM ITS BEGINNINGS IN WORLD WAR II (DOCTORS GRAY AND KOPP) TO ITS FORMAL COMPLETION (BY LAWRENCE G. KERSTA) IN THE SIXTIES. BECAUSE OF THE NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION AND KERSTA'S LACK OF RIGID SCIENTIFIC PROOF, SEVERAL COURT CASES (STATE V. CARY, PEOPLE V. KING) RULED THE VOICE-PRINT PROOF AS INADMISSIBLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, DOCTOR O. TOSI OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDERTOOK 2 YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WHICH CONVINCED HIM OF THE SOUNDNESS AND VALIDITY OF THE METHOD. ALTHOUGH THESE RESULTS HAD A REASSURING EFFECT ON JUDICIAL AND SCIENTIFIC OPINION, SEVERAL COURTS STILL REFUSED THE VOICE-PRINT PROOF OR DECLINED TO MAKE A FIRM RULING. NO FINAL DECISION HAS YET BEEN REACHED, BUT COURTS NOW TEND TO ADMIT THE VISUAL PROOF, PROVIDED THE ANALYSIS IS MADE BY AN EXPERT AND THE VISUAL PROOF AN AUDITIVE COMPARISON. CANADA HAS SEEN ONLY ONE COURT CASE TO DATE INVOLVING VOICE-PRINT IDENTIFICATION, BUT MORE NUMEROUS DECISIONS WILL CERTAINLY FOLLOW THE TREND SET IN THE U.S.A. A SHORT APPENDIX PRESENTS A COMPARISON BETWEEN FINGERPRINT RIDGE PATTERNS AND VOICE PATTERNS. EXTENSIVE FOOTNOTES SUPPLEMENT THE TEXT. --IN FRENCH. (SAJ)