NCJ Number
244675
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 63 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2013 Pages: 675-697
Date Published
December 2013
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article describes the process for establishing sufficiency and standards for exclusion decisions regarding latent fingerprint examinations.
Abstract
Current research into latent fingerprint examiner decisions shows that erroneous exclusions are common and inevitable. These errors may be dramatically reduced by establishing clear standards or exclusion decisions and providing comprehensive training on exclusions to all latent print examiners. The first step in this process is to standardize verification of all exclusion decisions. Second, examiners must be able to use the inconclusive decision when it is appropriate. The inconclusive decision should be reached whenever there is insufficient detail in disagreement to exclude. This decision gives the examiner an option that reduces the chance of erroneously excluding a print that was not located. The latent print unit at the Arizona Department of Public Safety has set its standard for exclusion to be Level 1 and Level 2 detail in disagreement. In other words, two or more target groups of minutiae near an anchor point such as a delta or core must be in disagreement for an exclusion. When these features are used in conjunction, examiners can be confident that they found the chance of an erroneous exclusion. The latent print community should continue the discussion on a standard for exclusion to reduce the unacceptable high error rate on this decision and to clarify the appropriate use of the exclusion decision. (Published Abstract)