History of Fingerprints in Trials

History of Fingerprints in Trials

CRJ335 – Laws of Evidence

Colorado State University Global

The History of Fingerprinting

No two people on this plant have the same fingerprints. They are as unique to each individual as every snowflake that falls from the sky. The fact that fingerprints are unique them useful, not just in identifying a person, but also in solving crimes. Fingerprinting for purposes of identification dates back to the mid-1800s. In 1856, Sir William James Hershel, a British officer for the Indian Civil Service, used fingerprints as security measures to protect his interests with the locals he did business with (Bell, 2017). By using fingerprints the locals could not deny that they had agreed to the terms of any contract they signed in to with Hershel (Bell, 2017). By 1905, the United States military was using fingerprints for personal identification of their enlisted, and “by the end of World War I, nearly five million sets of fingerprints had been collected” (Bell, 2017).

Modern Advancements

Fingerprinting technology has come a long way since 1905, and while the main idea is still identification, the advancements of fingerprinting technology are astounding. In the criminal justice system fingerprinting can seem a bit old school, especially compared to advancing DNA technology, but fingerprinting has not fallen by the wayside. New technology has made “developing, collecting, and identifying fingerprint evidence easier and quicker” (Montaldo, 2019). We now live in a world where trying to wipe fingerprints from a crime scene may not be enough anymore. Advancements that we have seen in fingerprinting technology are:

Micro-X-Ray Fluorescence (MXRF) – a fingerprinting process that detects sodium, potassium and chlorine elements in fingerprints. These elements are commonly found in prints and the way they are left behind in a fingerprint allows scientists to “see” the deposited elements form the ridges in a fingerprint (Montaldo, 2019).

Color Changing Fluorescent Film – A film containing fluorophore molecules, which are sensitive to ultraviolet rays. When fingerprints are lifted with the film and subjected to ultraviolet light, the film “provides a third color that can be adjusted to develop a high-contrast fingerprint image” (Montaldo, 2019).

Printing from Irregular Surfaces – Particularly metal surfaces, like those of bullet casings and firearms, scientists “found that chemical deposits that form fingerprints have electrical insulating characteristics, which can block electric current” (Montaldo, 2019). This means that fingerprints can still be found even if the suspect attempted to wash them away.

Concerns of Fingerprint Evidence

Fingerprints are able to give us dependable results in identification but, like every science, fingerprinting does have its concerns. The main concern of fingerprints as evidence in trials is that the process is mostly based on the subjective beliefs of the analyst (Thompson, Black, Jain & Kandane, 2017). The process of fingerprinting tends to be subjective because the analysis of ridges and their quality can be thoroughly considered by the examiner. Examiners often testify in court with absolute certainty on a science that is not without error.

Arguments For

Fingerprints are unique and stand well accepted as an accurate form of authentication and accepted as individual identification. Established on the components that fingerprints are 1) obvious and different to every person, 2) changeless over the entirety of a person’s lifetime, and 3) lifted from all types of surfaces that a person comes into connection with (Lohner, 2017), fingerprinting evidence has been seen as a trustworthy and essential security structure. Other argument for fingerprinting technology is that the Automated Fingerprinting Identification System has already proven effective and exceptionally beneficial to criminal investigations (Gemalto.com, 2020). Lastly, fingerprints cannot simply be changed like other physical characteristics. An individual can modify their hair color with dyes, surgically change their facial structure and body, lighten or darken their skin, and can alter the color of their eyes with contacts, but a person cannot change their fingerprints. Fingerprints can be removed to an extent, but that typically reveals deceptive motives and in turn creates a more unique identifier.

Arguments Against

Like other applications, fingerprinting is subject to oversights. These oversights can be found in the actual collection of fingerprints and even the person who is accountable for evaluating and matching prints. Mistakes have been made in the past that have lead to wrongful outcomes and devastated lives. A report, published in December of 2011, concluded that “human error was to blame and voices serious concerns about how fingerprint analysts report matches” (Geddes, 2011). Errors can occur in numerous areas, such as if the finger is not rolled properly or entirely from one side to the other; if the technician does not hold the finger firmly in place; if the finger is held too loosely. Other concerns can come from the amount of ink being used: lots of ink would alter the arrangements of ridges and too little ink could make ridge arrangements identical or inaccurately record key identification points (Improving Latent Fingerprint Examinations by Reducing Human Error, 2012).

Fingerprint Use in the United Kingdom

It was in 1902 that the United Kingdom made its first conviction based on fingerprint evidence. In a case involving the theft of several billiard balls, an officer discovered fingerprints in the drying paint of a recently painted windowsill (Black & Thompson, 2002). The painstaking task of comparing these prints to those of the family who had been burgled, the officers who responded, and all of the prints police had collected from criminals paid off. Months after the crime occurred, police were able to match the prints to a Harry Jackson, a previously convicted burglar (Black & Thompson, 2002).

In 1974, employees of the Hertfordshire Fingerprint Bureau in the United Kingdom began to contact all of the fingerprint experts throughout the UK (Moore & von Minden, 2020). The purpose of contacting these experts was to form the country’s first professional organization of fingerprinting experts: “The National Society of Fingerprint Officers” (Moore & von Minden, 2020). In 1977, the society changed its name to The Fingerprint Society, and in 2017 they merged with The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (Moore & von Minden, 2020). The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences is internationally renowned for is continuing development and contributions, both to forensics and education in fingerprinting standards.

References

Bell, D. (2017). The History of Fingerprinting. Science Teacher, 84(8), 68. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=125936630&site=ehost-live

Black, S., Thompson, T. 2007. Forensic Human Identification: An Introduction. Florida: CRC Press.

Geddes, L. (2011). Miscarriage of justice points to fingerprint flaws. New Scientist, 212(2844/2845), 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(11)63124-2

Gemalto.com. (2020, January 14). Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) – a short history. Retrieved January 18, 2020, from https://www.gemalto.com/govt/biometrics/afis-history

Improving Latent Fingerprint Examinations by Reducing Human Error. (2012). National Institute of Justice Journal, (270), 40–41. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=i3h&AN=79330238&site=ehost-live

Lohner, S. (2017, April 27). Finding Fingerprints. Retrieved January 18, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/finding-fingerprints/

Montaldo, C. (2019, January 30). New Fingerprint Detection Technology Continues to Advance. Retrieved January 18, 2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/new-fingerprint-detection-technology-971343

Moore, G., & von Minden, D. (2020, January 14). The History of Fingerprints. Retrieved January 18, 2020, from http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html

Thompson, W., Black, J., Jain, A., & Kandane, J. (2017). Forensic Science Assessments: A Quality And Gap Analysis Latent Fingerprint Examination (pp. 1–160). D.C., U.S.: American Association for the Advancement of Science.