NCJ Number
242814
Journal
Identification Canada Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2012 Pages: 124-137
Date Published
December 2012
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article provides an update on footwear identification in crime scene investigations.
Abstract
This article was written by a forensic identification specialist who argues that the current standard on the uniqueness of an object, its individualization, as offered at trial cannot be the only conclusion reached due to the statistical probability that something portrayed as unique could be duplicated. The author begins with a literature review that discusses current techniques used in footwear identification and reviews the current process used by Canadian forensic examiners to perform footwear identifications. The author notes that because it is impossible to examine all footwear in order to exclude it from comparison, it is not possible to say in court that the footwear identified at the crime scene is the only shoe that could ever have been used at the scene. The current process used by footwear examiners in Canada includes procedures for protecting against the occurrence of identification errors and the presence of bias on the part of the examiners. The author discusses current work being done to develop meaningful statistical models for assigning value to footwear evidence class and accidental characteristics. These models will allow for footwear evidence to be evaluated by several experts. The author then discusses what opinions can be reached as a result of footwear evidence comparisons and how different opinions regarding evidence can be an important tool for use by court prosecutors. Bibliography