ABSTRACT
ACE-V is a methodology used by fingerprint examiners to determine whether an unknown print and a known print likely originated from the same source. Determinations are made based on a preponderance of quantitative and qualitative features. Minimum point standards have been abolished in most countries as there is no scientific justification for a specific minimum number of minutiae necessary for an identification conclusion. The science of fingerprint analysis has greatly benefited from current research and will benefit also from future developments in the field, including standardized nomenclature, error rate studies, and the development of probability models for statistical analyses to articulate the strength of identification conclusions. Large scale studies such as the black box studies and the Miami-Dade study have concluded that fingerprint examination has an erroneous identification error rate of 2.9%–3% without verification, ≤0.1% with verification, and an erroneous exclusion rate of 7.5% (without verification).
