Criminal Investigations
University of Malta
Institute of Forensic Studies
B.A Criminology 3rd Year 2008
Credit: FRS 3008
Criminal Investigation
Lecturer: Mr. John Charles Ellul
Fingerprint Evidence
Contents
• Introduction
• History of Fingerprint Evidence
• Fingerprint Evidence
• Strengths and Weaknesses of Fingerprint Evidence
• Case Study involving Fingerprint Evidence
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
Introduction
After some research and planning I decided about doing the Criminal Investigation assignment on Fingerprint Evidence. Each individual has his own unique markings on the hands and fingers that are singular to everyone. Fingerprint Evidence is highly reliable and particularly accessible to juries, that is everyone nowadays understands that our own fingers contain a contour map of ridges and whorls that are completely unique and it is very difficult to doubt this assumption (Nolo, 2008).
A fingerprint can conclusively identify both the offender and the victim as well. Nowadays police stations have hundreds of fingerprints of individuals on file. For example today the FBI has a collection of prints that numbers in the millions (Nolo, 2008). As Cooke once wrote in his books ‘the majority of all crime is committed by habitual criminals who have been arrested or imprisoned before...their fingerprints are on file, and a single fingerprint left anywhere about the scene of a crime may enable the experts to tell just who committed the crime’ (1973). These fingerprints of different individuals can be on file for a number of reasons. These may be fingerprints from when the individual was arrested or from when he/she started a certain work.
After this brief introduction on fingerprint evidence the rest of this assignment will deal with the
Institute of Forensic Studies
B.A Criminology 3rd Year 2008
Credit: FRS 3008
Criminal Investigation
Lecturer: Mr. John Charles Ellul
Fingerprint Evidence
Contents
• Introduction
• History of Fingerprint Evidence
• Fingerprint Evidence
• Strengths and Weaknesses of Fingerprint Evidence
• Case Study involving Fingerprint Evidence
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
Introduction
After some research and planning I decided about doing the Criminal Investigation assignment on Fingerprint Evidence. Each individual has his own unique markings on the hands and fingers that are singular to everyone. Fingerprint Evidence is highly reliable and particularly accessible to juries, that is everyone nowadays understands that our own fingers contain a contour map of ridges and whorls that are completely unique and it is very difficult to doubt this assumption (Nolo, 2008).
A fingerprint can conclusively identify both the offender and the victim as well. Nowadays police stations have hundreds of fingerprints of individuals on file. For example today the FBI has a collection of prints that numbers in the millions (Nolo, 2008). As Cooke once wrote in his books ‘the majority of all crime is committed by habitual criminals who have been arrested or imprisoned before...their fingerprints are on file, and a single fingerprint left anywhere about the scene of a crime may enable the experts to tell just who committed the crime’ (1973). These fingerprints of different individuals can be on file for a number of reasons. These may be fingerprints from when the individual was arrested or from when he/she started a certain work.
After this brief introduction on fingerprint evidence the rest of this assignment will deal with the
Bibliography: Lee, H. and Gaensslen, R (2001) Advances in Fingerprint Technology, CRC Press: U.S.A Krupowicz, T Maltoni, D. Maio, D. Jain, A. and Prabhakar, S. (2005) Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition, Springer Science Business Media, Inc.: U.S.A Coppock, C Cowger, J. (1992) Friction Ridge Skin: Comparison and Identification of Fingerprints (Practical aspects of Criminal and Forensic investigations), Elsevier Science Publishing Co. Inc: U.S.A Champod, C Journals Marshal Cavendish (2000) Murder in Mind: The Killers, Their Crimes and Their Psychology Internet Sites Moore, G (2007) The History of Fingerprints