UPDATES ON CLPEX.com

Updated the Fingerprint Interest Group (FIG) page with FIG #51; rotation and slippage, submitted by Bonnie Manno.  You can send your example of unique distortion to Charlie Parker: Charles.Parker@ci.austin.tx.us.  For discussion, visit the CLPEX.com forum FIG thread.

Updated the forum Keeping Examiners Prepared for Testimony (KEPT) thread with KEPT #26; Terminology - Permanence or Persistence, submitted by Michelle Triplett.  You can send your questions on courtroom topics to Michelle Triplett: Michele.Triplett@kingcounty.gov

Added to the McKie page a link to the 2005 letter from SCRO examiners to Alex Neil.

Updated the Detail Archives
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we considered quality assurance policies and procedures related to differences of opinion / conflicting conclusions in latent print examination.

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SWGFAST Document Updates
by Kasey Wertheim

SWGFAST has posted three updated documents on their website, www.SWGFAST.org.  Although this Weekly Detail provides a short overview of major changes, it is recommended that interested practitioners download the new versions of the documents and review them in their entirety.

   Standard for Examination of Simultaneous Impressions  (6/23/08 ver 1.1 DRAFT FOR COMMENT)

   Standard for Friction Ridge Automation Training (Tenprint)  (6/11/08 ver 1.0 DRAFT FOR COMMENT)

   Standard for Friction Ridge Digital Imaging  (6/11/08 ver 1.0 DRAFT FOR COMMENT)

There are many format updates to how the documents look, but there are also some substantive changes to the content of the documents.  First of all, you will notice that the word "Standard" appears in the title of all three documents.  The Automation Training and Imaging documents use to be guidelines, but SWGFAST has taken the next step in transforming these guidelines to discipline standards.

Standard for Examination of Simultaneous Impressions (hereafter referred to as "the Simultaneous document")
SWGFAST considered each and every comment received and significantly modified several portions of the Simultaneous document.  For those who are interested in whether SWGFAST incorporated their comments, or who wish to conduct a detailed side-by-side comparison of the old draft version of the document and the new version of the document, it is recommended that the old version be accessed at CLPEX.com prior to the next SWGFAST meeting.  It is anticipated that additional comments will be received and incorporated into the final draft for publication by SWGFAST at their next meeting, and at that time the Detail Archives version of the old draft for comment will be deleted or replaced by the new version to avoid confusion.  The old version was published as the Detail # 344 on March 17, 2008.

The new Simultaneous document has several new preamble sentences:

"Simultaneous impression examination is an advanced technique that should be utilized with caution.  A complete analysis of the impressions should occur before concluding simultaneity."

"If a conclusion can be derived without invoking simultaneity, or if the issue of simultaneity itself is not relevant, then this standard may not apply.

"There is no scientific basis for requiring a single friction ridge impression within a simultaneous impression to stand-alone for individualization purposes." (moved from the Analysis section to the Preamble)

SWGFAST has removed reference to "probative value" of an impression with relation to establishing for legal purposes how the item was handled.

SWGFAST added an example of substrate consistency in section 1.2.1.4: "A single surface such as the entire surface of a cylindrical or curved object on which all friction ridge impressions appear; three fingerprints on one side of a cylinder and a thumb print on the other side."

Evaluation conclusions were expanded as reporting phrases and moved from the Evaluation section and section 6 to a separate Appendix.

2 references were added:

Gaudes, C. Digit Determination. Identification Canada. 2002, 25 (4), 11-15. 

Wisniewski, P. Comparison of Fingerprints Recovered in a Composite Way. Problemy Kryminalistyki. 2003, 239, 21-29.

The Tenprint Automation Training Standard was proposed by the new SWGFAST Tenprint Committee to replace the Friction Ridge Automation Training Guidelines. 

The document was entirely re-formatted and the "Live-scan" and "Card-scan" sections were combined into an "Image Capture and Transmission" section. 

the main content within the tenprint portion of the document remained relatively unchanged.

Dropped the latent print and digital imaging sections.

The Standard for Friction Ridge Digital Imaging document was reformatted.  In the new Preamble, the document was scoped by the following: "These standards do not extend to image adjustments on an AFIS system."

SWGFAST added the phrase "Capture in raw file format is recommended."

SWGFAST added: "Agencies shall have procedures to ensure the accessibility of digital images, e.g. images may be archived in a format to ensure their accessibility, hardware and software may be archived to ensure accessibility of images." referencing the SWGIT “Best Practices for Archiving Digital and Multimedia Evidence (DME) in the Criminal Justice System.”

SWGFAST left the requirement: "The application of digital image processing (enhancement) techniques shall be documented. This documentation shall be sufficient to enable evaluation or replication of the digital image processing techniques."

SWGFAST removed the following from the new document that was located in the old document: "Digital images prepared for other purposes do not require digital image enhancement documentation, i.e., demonstrative court exhibits.  If only minor digital image adjustment are made to the entire image, similar to conventional photography/darkroom adjustment to brightness, contrast and color shift, etc., documentation is not required."

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KEPT - Keeping Examiners Prepared for Testimony - #26
Terminology - Permanence or Persistence
by Michele Triplett, King County Sheriff's Office

Disclaimer:  The intent of this is to provide thought provoking discussion.  No claims of accuracy exist. 

Question – Terminology – Permanence or Persistence:

Can you please describe fingerprint permanence to the court.

Possible Answers:

a)      The friction ridge arrangements on the skin are formed during fetal formation and remain the same until after death and decomposition starts.

b)      The friction ridge arrangements on the skin are formed during fetal formation and are permanent until after death and decomposition starts.

c)      The friction ridge arrangements on the skin are formed during fetal formation and are persistent until after death and decomposition starts.  Persistent means that they do change in size and can be different due to the flexibility of the skin but the characteristics themselves do not change.

Discussion:

Many people don’t think there’s a big difference in which term you use but it may matter if more than one examiner is testifying in the same case and one person states that fingerprints are permanent and another person testifies that they aren’t permanent.  It’s becoming more common every day for multiple people to testify in the same case and something this small could mean the difference between appearing knowledgeable or uninformed.

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Feel free to pass The Detail along to other examiners.  This is a free newsletter FOR latent print examiners, BY latent print examiners. With the exception of weeks such as this week, there are no copyrights on The Detail content.  As always, the website is open for all to visit!

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Until next Monday morning, don't work too hard or too little.

Have a GREAT week!