NCJ Number
122726
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: (March/April 1990) Pages: 60-68
Date Published
1990
Length
9 pages
Annotation
By designing a set of questions to assist in court testimony, the fingerprint examiner has taken a giant step toward insuring that the testimony is the best possible.
Abstract
A latent fingerprint examiner should always strive for objectivity and insure that the evidence is presented in the most effective way. Five major areas need to be addressed in expert fingerprint testimony: the witness' qualifications, an explanation of the science of fingerprints, the introduction of the latent and inked prints, the examination process, and the examiner's opinion. The foundation on which the rest of the testimony depends is the jury's acceptance of the witness' expertise. One way to show this expertise is to design a thorough, complete, and orderly set of questions. If there is a pre-trial conference with the prosecutor, then the set of questions serves as a basis for the discussion. In the absence of a pre-trial conference, the prosecutor and witness both benefit from the list of questions by avoiding surprises and yet covering all of the information that needs to be introduced. 10 references, appendix.