Education & Training
Capital Litigation Initiative: Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training Webinars Capital Litigation Initiative: Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training Live Seminars Forensic Science for Capital Litigators--Online Course--2014 |
Capital Litigation Initiative: Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics TrainingWebinar 21: Evolution of Fingerprint Practices and Implications to Litigation
An very informative webinar was presented by fingerprint expert Mr. Henry Swofford as he discussed the Evolution of Fingerprint Practices and Implications to Litigation.
Fingerprint evidence has been admissible in legal proceedings for over a century and practiced by nearly every forensic laboratory throughout the world. Once viewed as the gold-standard of forensic evidence, the fingerprint discipline, along with many other pattern interpretation disciplines, has experienced mounting criticism from the general scientific community as to whether the validity and reliability of its methods have been properly demonstrated to satisfy modern admissibility requirements in criminal and civil courts. Specifically, concerns have focused on the quality of foundational research related to error rates and the lack of standardized and robust examination methods, interpretation protocols, and reporting.
Although the forensic fingerprint discipline has come a long way over the years and was ultimately determined to be foundationally valid following an independent assessment of existing research by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) in 2016, questions remain regarding the validity of the practices when applied to a specific case and appropriateness of the conclusions conveyed during testimony by individual forensic service providers. These concerns have led to several changes to recommended practices and efforts to promote greater scientific rigor across the community. This presentation is now available on-demand and will:
Mr. Henry Swofford is the Principal Forensic Analyst at HJS Consulting, LLC in Washington D.C. Swofford is certified by the International Association for Identification (IAI) as a latent print examiner with over 15 years of experience working in an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited forensic science laboratory.
Course materials:
This webinar is designed for both prosecutors and defense attorneys. Attendees who complete this webinar will be eligible for Continuing Legal Education credits. The Stetson Office of Professional Education will work with each individual participant for reporting specifics. CLE applications will be made to Florida and other states per individual requests. Please email ope@law.stetson.edu for further information and state specific requests. This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-CP-BX-K006 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. |