9781422273463

Specialists may choose to work in the field where they’re doing hands-on work, visiting crime scenes, and analyzing evidence in the lab. Others may pursue the research side of forensic science, contributing to the creation of more precise and accurate methods for analyzing and interpreting impression evidence. How Is Impression Evidence Used in Court? As with any type of evidence, an item is only as good as its interpretation. It’s not enough to simply collect and record impression evidence. Forensic experts must then use their extensive knowledge in their

Determining What Evidence Is Allowed in Court

Not every type of evidence that is currently presented in court in conjunction with criminal cases was always allowed. When a new type of technique or practice is introduced—such as collecting fingerprints or shoeprints—it can take a while for it to be considered a valid form of evidence in the legal world. Two court cases, Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. (1993) and Frye v. United States (1923), have set precedents that are adhered to by various states, although the U.S. Supreme Court determined Daubert supersedes Frye at the federal level. Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, which codify the introduction of evidence for civil and criminal trials in the U.S. federal courts, determines who is qualified as an expert witness for a case. The rule states that a witness is qualified as an expert based on a few criteria: their scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trial’s trier of fact (the person or group of people who determine what is or is not a fact in a case) to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue; the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data; the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.

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Introduction: The Value of a Lasting Impression