Thanks to Hollywood, firearms and the forensic information associate with them has been portrayed as the key piece of evidence in many “case.” Fingerprinting is oftentimes overshadowed. Your goal is to argue the importance of fingerprinting in our cases. Discuss three specific points why fingerprint evidence is crucial to our investigation. If your last name begins with A-L, address the following: How might you enlighten those who believe fingerprint evidence no longer has a place in forensic investigation? Support your thoughts with at least one crime case. When responding to your classmates, respond to at least one classmate who has been assigned the opposite opinion of yours. If your last name begins with M-Z, address the following: How might you back your opinion of fingerprint evidence still having an impact in forensic science cases today? Support your thoughts with at least one crime case. When responding to your peers, respond to at least one peer who has been assigned the opposite opinion of yours. This Assignment above is already complete your next assignment is to: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. You Must Provide Feedback on what they have written. You should include your thoughts associated with their posted information. Additionally, you are to contribute to the discussion by adding support or constructive alternatives to your classmates’ posts. Each response should be a minimum of 200 words. You are to provide feedback from two students discussion posts Two discussion posts 200 words each= 400 words total for the two different student responses See attachment below for two different student responses I provided for you First Student Response Amy Fleshner “Fingerprints are a form of biometric identifier, a biological measurement or feature of a person that has the potential of being used as the basis for individualization” (Gaensslen & Larsen, 2013, sec. 7.4). Four ways fingerprint evidence is crucial to our investigation because: “1. Friction ridges develop on individuals in their definitive form before birth. 2. Friction ridges are persistent throughout life except for permanent scarring. 3. Friction ridge patterns and the details in small areas of friction ridges are unique and never repeated. 4. Fingerprint patterns vary within limits which allow for systematic classification” (Bush, 2001, para. 3). Because fingerprints do not change, naturally, throughout a lifetime it is helpful to investigations because it isn’t possible for them to evolve or change without some sort of scaring. This is unique to every individual and because of the different classification of fingerprints, it is beneficial for investigators to study, understand, and match a fingerprint with a known suspect. The keyword with this is naturally. It is possible for an individual to scar their fingerprints so terribly that they cannot be matched or found in a data base. If, in fact, a suspect has scars ...

1. Thanks to Hollywood, firearms and the forensic information
associate with them has been portrayed as the key piece of
evidence in many “case.” Fingerprinting is oftentimes
overshadowed. Your goal is to argue the importance of
fingerprinting in our cases. Discuss three specific points why
fingerprint evidence is crucial to our investigation.
If your last name begins with A-L, address the following:
How might you enlighten those who believe fingerprint
evidence no longer has a place in forensic investigation?
Support your thoughts with at least one crime case.
When responding to your classmates, respond to at least one
classmate who has been assigned the opposite opinion of yours.
If your last name begins with M-Z, address the following:
How might you back your opinion of fingerprint evidence still
having an impact in forensic science cases today?
Support your thoughts with at least one crime case.
When responding to your peers, respond to at least one peer
who has been assigned the opposite opinion of yours.
This Assignment above is already complete your next
assignment is to:
Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.

2. You Must Provide Feedback on what they have written.
You should include your thoughts associated with their posted
information.
Additionally, you are to contribute to the discussion by adding
support or constructive alternatives to your classmates’ posts.
Each response should be a minimum of 200 words.
You are to provide feedback from two students discussion posts
Two discussion posts 200 words each= 400 words total for the
two different student responses
See attachment below for two different student responses I
provided for you
First Student Response Amy Fleshner
“Fingerprints are a form of biometric identifier, a biological
measurement or feature of a person that has the potential of
being used as the basis for individualization” (Gaensslen &
Larsen, 2013, sec. 7.4). Four ways fingerprint evidence is
crucial to our investigation because:
“1. Friction ridges develop on individuals in their definitive
form before birth.
2. Friction ridges are persistent throughout life except for
permanent scarring.
3. Friction ridge patterns and the details in small areas of
friction ridges are unique and never repeated.
4. Fingerprint patterns vary within limits which allow for

3. systematic classification” (Bush, 2001, para. 3).
Because fingerprints do not change, naturally, throughout a
lifetime it is helpful to investigations because it isn’t possible
for them to evolve or change without some sort of scaring. This
is unique to every individual and because of the different
classification of fingerprints, it is beneficial for investigators to
study, understand, and match a fingerprint with a known
suspect. The keyword with this is naturally. It is possible for an
individual to scar their fingerprints so terribly that they cannot
be matched or found in a data base. If, in fact, a suspect has
scars on their fingertips it is because they are attempting to hide
their identity because they are aware of the impact that
fingerprint identification could have on them. In this case other
evidence would be needed to prove their guilt, along with the
idea that they have tried to hide their fingerprints. The study of
fingerprints can be dated back to the 17th and 18th century in
Europe, so this has been studied for some time and even
perfected to the extent that fingerprint identification is utilized
in high level security institutions rather than key cards, keys,
etc. because of its individuality (Gaensslen & Larsen, 2013).
The other side to this is if an intruder wanted to enter a building
that is secured with fingerprint readers, all you would need is
their thumb (not even in tact with the rest of their body) to
enter, so there is still room for error with this concept.
One famous case that fingerprint evidence broke open was that
of Will West and William West. “When the two men were
brought together, their physical appearances were remarkably
similar such that it would require DNA paternity testing to
determine if they were identical twins. However the technology
of DNA profiling was still to be discovered and so
fingerprinting was used to separate the two identities” (Bush,
2001, para. 7). One could also argue with this case, that since it
was before the technology of DNA testing, not enough
information had been gathered on fingerprint evidence also, so

4. it is possible that it was read wrong or done without enough
information to accurately distinguish a difference between the
two men. Fingerprint evidence no longer has a place in forensic
science by itself. There are too many ways around it at this
point, therefor other evidence surrounding the case should be
looked at in combination with fingerprint evidence, rather than
basing the case off of fingerprint evidence alone. It is often too
easy for a suspect to say “yeah, my fingerprints were there
because I was there the other day for whatever reason”. This
may enter reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury, even if their
claim to where they were can’t be corroborated. Now that we
have the technology of DNA testing, fingerprint evidence is a
little out dated.
References:
Bush, L. (2001). In support of fingerprint evidence. Journal of
Forensic Identification, 51(5), 457-460. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/194787219?accountid=3252
1.
Gaensslen, R.E., & Larsen, K. (2013). Introductory forensic
science. San Diego, CA:
Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Second Student Response from Katchess T.
How might you back your opinion of fingerprint evidence still
having an impact in forensic science cases today?
Fingerprints tell a story. They tell you where a person has been
and what they have been associated with. Fingerprints either

5. convict you or set you free. One of the most important parts of a
forensic investigation is fingerprinting. As fingerprints are
unique to each individual, they serve as a highly accurate way
for law enforcement agencies to identify a suspect, as well as
potentially prove their guilt or innocence
Support your thoughts with at least one crime case.
1903 – The William West – Will West Case at a Federal Prison
in Leavenworth, Kansas,
changed the way that people were classified and identified.
When a man named Will West entered the Leavenworth Prison
System, in 1903, he was
“booked” into the prison, as all other inmates. His face was
photographed, and his Bertillion
measurements were taken. Upon completion of this process, it
was noted that another
inmate, known as William West, who was already incarcerated
at Leavenworth, had the
same name, Bertillion measurements, and bore a striking
resemblance to Will West
The incident called the reliability of Bertillion measurements
into question, and it was decided
that a more positive means of identification was necessary. As
the Bertillion System began to
decline, the use of fingerprints in identifying and classifying
individuals began to rise. After 1903, many prison systems
began to use fingerprints as the primary means of
identification.appealed his conviction to the Illinois Supreme
Court on the basis of a questionable newscientific technique.
The Illinois Supreme Court cited the historical research and use
offingerprints as a means of reliable identification in upholding
the conviction, and thus establishing the use of fingerprints as a
reliable means of identification.
Jennings was executed in 1912.

6. www.crimescene-forensics.com/History_of_Fingerprints