ABSTRACT
The identification of an evidence print, or even a set of inked prints, does not establish guilt or prove criminality. Finding a latent print made by an individual on a weapon used to commit homicide proves only that the individual contacted the weapon at some point in time. In many jurisdictions those who compare evidence to known exemplar prints are police officers whose primary responsibilities are the protection of life and property and the apprehension of wrongdoers. In the court system in which the author works, testimony regarding the conclusions reached as the result of comparison of friction skin prints must be given by an “expert.” Depending upon the requirements of the examiner’s jurisdiction or, perhaps, on the preference of the examiner, comparisons are sometimes illustrated using photographic enlargements of the materials compared.
