ED
Ectodermal dysplasia.
EFPWG
European Fingerprint Working Group.
ENFSI
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes.
ESSO
An AFIS term meaning Enhanced Sending Search to Other, referring to searching another
AFIS system from your system.
Eccrine Gland
Any of the numerous small sweat glands distributed over the body's
surface that produce a clear aqueous secretion devoid of cytoplasmic
constituents and important in regulating body temperature
The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=eccrine%20gland 02-27-03
Sweat glands that open on all surfaces of the skin.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Eccrine Sweat
The secretion of the eccrine gland. Composed of 99% water, amino acids,
sodium chloride and trace amounts of other organic and inorganic elements.
Ectoderm
The outermost of the three primary germ layers of an embryo, from which
the epidermis, nervous tissue, and, in vertebrates, sense organs develop.
The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ectoderm
Ectodermal Dysplasia (ED)
Ectodermal dysplasia is a large group of inherited disorders characterised by a
primary defect in hair, teeth, nails or sweat gland function, in addition to another
abnormality in a tissue of ectodermal origin, e.g. ears, eyes, lips, mucous
membranes of the mouth or nose, central nervous system.
The ectoderm is the outermost layer of cells in embryonic development and
contributes to the formation of many parts of the body including all those
described above. Ectodermal dysplasia occurs when the ectoderm of certain
areas fails to develop normally. All ectodermal dysplasias are present from birth
and are non-progressive.
http://www.dermnetnz.org/hair-nails-sweat/ectodermal-dysplasia.html 01-28-2007
Ectrodactyly
Congenital absence of all or part of a digit(s).
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Edgeoscopy
Study of the morphological characteristics of friction ridges; contour or
shape of the edges of friction ridges.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Edgeoscopy was established by Sri Salil Kumar Chatterjee of India in 1962.
Elasticity
The ability of skin to recover from stretching, compression, or distortion.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Elimination Prints
Exemplars of friction ridge skin detail of persons known to have had access
to the item examined for latent prints.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Embryology
A branch of biology that deals with the formation and development of embryos.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Eminence
A prominence, projection, or elevation.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Empirical
Relying on or derived from observation or experiment: empirical results that
supported the hypothesis. Verifiable or provable by means of observation or
experiment: empirical laws
The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=empirical 02-27-03
Relating to or based upon direct experience or observation.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
Empirical Probability
Estimating the probability based on long run observations.
See Classical Probability and Subjective Probability.
Enclosure
A single friction ridge that bifurcates and rejoins after a short course and
continues as a single friction ridge.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Ending Ridge
A single friction ridge that terminates within the friction ridge structure.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Epidermal Ridges
1. Ridges on the skin, aka friction ridges.
2. Ridges on the bottom of the epidermis corresponding to the surface
friction ridges and surface furrows. They are the root system of the
surface ridges and furrows. The epidermal ridges that correspond to
the friction ridges are referred to as primary ridges and the epidermal
ridges that correspond to the surface furrows are referred to as secondary
ridges.
3. Epidermal ridges are sometimes referred to as papillary ridges.
Epidermis
The outer layer of the skin.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Cuticle or outer layer of the skin.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
The outer layer of skin. Consisting of up to five layers: Stratum Corneum, Stratum
Lucidum, Stratum Granulosum, Stratum Spinosum and Stratum Basale (aka Stratum
Mucosum, Stratum Malpighi, or Stratum germinatavum). The epidermis is formed
from the ectoderm in an embryo.
Epithelial Cells
The millions of cells that line and protect the external and internal
surfaces of the body. Epithelial cells form epithelial tissues such
as skin and mucous membranes.
American Dietetic Association, Interactive Glossary.
Copyright 2003 Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
http://nutrition.jbpub.com/discovering/interactive_glossary_showterm.cfm?term=Epithelial%20cells 02-27-03
All epithelial tissues have the same properties, no blood vessels,
frequent cell division, cells are close to each other, and there are
cells with nuclei and a basement layer linking it to connective tissue.
Epithelial Tissue
Four kinds of tissue. Simple, stratified, pseudostratified, and
transitional. Skin on the fingers is considered stratified epithelium.
Erroneous Exclusion
The incorrect determination that two areas of friction ridge impressions
did not originate from the same source.
Erroneous Exclusions, known cases of:
Sutherland (suspect) – 2006
On May 26, 2006 “The Scotsman” reported an erroneous identification by the Glasgow
Bureau of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO). A palm print from a burglary was
determined to be erroneous by Allan Bayle and confirmed by John MacLeod and Gary
Dempster. The accused was cleared when the prosecution accepted his not guilty
plea. The “BBC News” reported the case had been dropped because of reasons other
than fingerprint evidence and indicated the original identification was done in February
of 2006. “The Scotsman” reported the SCRO stands by its identification.
In June 2006, it was determined that the SCRO identification was correct. Allan Bayle
agreed his conclusion was wrong (considered to be an erroneous exclusion). As of
July 2007 this case is still being investigated and all of the facts of this case may not be
known. The name of the suspect, Sutherland, was published in Strabismus 2007.
Jeremy Bryan Jones (suspect)
Jeremy Bryan Jones was using the name John Paul Chapman. Between October 2003
and June 2004 Jones was arrested 3 times and his fingerprints were sent to the FBI lab
in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The FBI's computer failed to match his prints to his real
name.
“Had a match been made, authorities would have known Chapman was Jones and he
was wanted in Oklahoma for jumping bail in 2000, where he was charged with two
counts of rape and two counts of sodomy.”
http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/jeremyjones.htm 05-26-2006
Elmer Lee Smith (fingerprint expert)
In February 1994 Elmer Lee Smith, a past president of SCAFO, had his life
membership of SCAFO revoked after it was found that he had testified to
erroneous exclusions in four separate cases.
http://www.scafo.org/library/100304.html
John Orr (suspect)
In the 1980’s a series of arsons swept California. In 1987, another arson took
place near an arson investigators conference. A latent print was found but
wasn’t identified. In 1989 another arson occurred near another arson investigators
conference. The Department of Justice compared the latent print against 10 people
who attended both conferences and found the latent did not originate from any of
these people. In 1991, another fingerprint expert enlarged the print and ran it
through an AFIS computer. AFIS produced a possible candidate who had attended
both conferences and was one of the previous people the latent was compared to.
The latent print was subsequently identified to renowned Fire Captain John Orr.
Orr pled guilty to 20 arsons and was also convicted of murder for the 4 people who
died in the fires.
Dr. Vassilis C. Morfopoulos (defense expert)
In 1968, Dr. Morfopoulos testified for the defence in People v. Kent. He
testified that even thought the prints had 12 (some articles say 14)
similarities in common, the two prints did not match. Due to this testimony,
Richard Stanley Kent was found not guilty of murder. In 1970, the IAI and
the FBI refuted Dr. Morfopoulos's claims.
Erroneous Identification
The incorrect determination that two areas of friction ridge impressions
originated from the same source.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Erroneous Identifications (or Questionable Identifications), known cases of:
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab - 2008
Dexter Presnell was jailed from Oct. 2006 until May 2008 due to an error by the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab. Dexter Presnell was falsely identified
as the person leaving a latent print at the 2005 homicide scene of Regan Wheeler
in Dallas, Texas. The examiner in the case mistakenly compared the latent print
from the scene to the elimination prints of Wheeler’s daughter thinking they were
the prints of Dexter Presnell. Presnell wasn’t immediately released from jail because
other evidence also connected him to the scene. The district attorney said the
fingerprint evidence was the main evidence but the error didn’t exonerate Prenell.
Certified Examiner Donna Birks - 2007
On May 4, 2007, it was reported that there were some problems with the fingerprint
analyses in two cases from a Certified Latent Print Examiner, Donna Birks, from
Seminole County, Florida. One of the cases involved a latent print on a wallet in a
burglary case, this case was dropped. The other case had an identification of a
latent print on a shell casing in a homicide case. It was determined the latent
prints didn’t have enough detail to warrant a positive identification.
By June 7, 2007, hundreds of cases had been reviewed. It was found that there
was 1 case that had an erroneous identification and 7 others had identifications
that should have been inconclusive. Birks resigned, the supervisor of this latent
unit was reassigned to supervisor another unit, and another latent examiner
(Tara Williamson) was reassigned as a dispatcher. It was reported that Bill
McQuay, a retired Certified Examiner, verified the erroneous identification
but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Sutherland (suspect) – 2006
On May 26, 2006 “The Scotsman” reported an erroneous identification by the
Glasgow Bureau of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO). A palm print
from a burglary was determined to be erroneous by Allan Bayle and confirmed
by John MacLeod and Gary Dempster. The accused was cleared when the
prosecution accepted his not guilty plea. The “BBC News” reported the case
had been dropped because of reasons other than fingerprint evidence and
indicated the original identification was done in February of 2006. “The
Scotsman” reported the SCRO stands by its identification.
In June 2006, it was determined that the SCRO identification was correct.
Allan Bayle agreed his conclusion was wrong (considered to be an erroneous
exclusion). As of July 2007 this case is still being investigated and all of the
facts of this case may not be known. The name of the suspect, Sutherland,
was published in Strabismus 2007.
Brandon Mayfield - 2004
Brandon Mayfield is a U.S. citizen who in May of 2004 was wrongfully arrested
as a material witness with regard to a terrorism attack in Spain. His arrest
was due to an erroneous fingerprint identification made by 3 FBI Examiners,
Michael Wieners, John T. Massey, Terry Green and 1 private fingerprint expert,
Ken Moses. News reports indicate, "Court records show that retired FBI agent
John Massey, who worked on the Madrid case, was reprimanded three times by the
FBI between 1969 and 1974 for errors, including twice making false fingerprint
identifications."
http://www.mobmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=240&A=7466
In November 2006 Mayfield was awarded a $2 million dollar settlement by the U.S.
Justice Department. The settlement also included an apology and an agreement to
destroy communications intercepts conducted by the FBI against Mayfield's home
and office during the investigation. The Justice Department added that Mayfield
was not targeted because of his Muslim faith.
Stephan Cowans - 2004
In 1997, Stephan Cowans was convicted of shooting a police officer in Boston,
Massachusetts. Part of the evidence against him included the identification of a
fingerprint on a drinking glass associated with the crime scene. Additional evidence
included faulty eyewitness testimony. In 2004, after spending 6 years in prison,
Cowans was exonerated with DNA evidence. A mislabeled fingerprint card has
been alleged to be the source of the error in the Cowans case. Others have
speculated that Cowans may have been framed by members of the Boston Police
Dept. Lab technicians Dennis LeBlanc and Rosemary Mclaughlin were put on
administrative leave pending an investigation.
In August of 2006, Cowans won a 3.2 million dollar settlement and received
$500,000 from the state for the wrongful conviction. On Oct 25, 2007, Cowans
was found shot to death in his home.
Roger Benson / Identix computer discrepancy - 2004
Miguel Espinoza / Identix computer discrepancy - 2004
David Valken-Leduc -2003
In Aug. 2002 in West Valley, Utah, Certified Latent Print Examiner Scott Spjut
testified at a preliminary hearing that a print found at a 1996 murder scene of
a motel 6 night clerk belonged to David Jonathan Valken-Leduc. After Spjut's
unexpected death in early 2003, his identification was reviewed and found to be
erroneous. Valken-Leduc was still convicted of the murder in early 2004.
Mark Sinclair – 2003
In 2003, Mark Sinclair was linked to an Armed Robbery through a fingerprint identification made
by the SCRO. This identification has been questioned due to an independent examiners
conclusion (Allan Bayle) that the identification was ’unsafe’. Fingerprint experts from Northern
Ireland agreed with Allan Bayle’s conclusion.
Alan McNamara - 2002
Alan McNamara, a small discount store owner, was arrested in Oct. 1999 for burglary
of a house in Rochdale. The only connection in the case between Mr McNamara and the
crime was a disputed thumbprint. The thumbprint lifted by the Greater Manchester
Police was alleged to have been taken from a jewelry case in the house owner's
bedroom. Although McNamara maintained his innocence, he was found guilty of the
crime and sentenced to 2 ˝ years in prison. He was released in Aug. 2002 on good
behavior. In November of the following year, McNamara won the right to appeal his
conviction. At trial, examiners Allan Bayle and Pat Wertheim testified that the
print was that of Mr McNamara, but that the print was lifted off a different
surface than the jewelry case. It appeared that the print was lifted off a smooth
curved surface, which could have been touched by Mr. McNamara quite innocently
during his day to day business. In Dec. 2004, the appeal was heard at The Royal
Courts of Justice and McNamara's conviction stood. It was determined that since
McNamara's prints were found on an item with the home owners prints on the same
item, he must have been the burglar. McNamara hopes to take the case to the Criminal
Case Review Commission, an independent body set up by the government to look at
alleged cases of miscarriage of justice.
Kathleen Hatfield - 2002
In 2002, Kathleen Hatfield was identified as the victim of a homicide after an
erroneous fingerprint identification by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The error may have been due to the body being badly decomposed, similar tattoos, and
the fact that Kathleen Hatfield was listed as a missing person.
Richard Jackson - 2000
In 1998, Rick Jackson was convicted of murdering his friend Alvin David and given a life
sentence in Delaware County, Pennsylvania based on an erroneous fingerprint
identification. Two local police officers, Anthony Paparo and Upper Darby Police
Superintendent Vincent Ficchi, made the erroneous identification and it was verified
by an out of state Certified Examiner. Retired FBI examiner George Wynn was the first
examiner to discover the mistake, Vernon McCloud, another former FBI examiner,
verified Wynn’s conclusion just days before Jackson’s trial. Even with this testimony,
Jackson was found guilty. The International Association of Identification reviewed the
identification and agreed that it was erroneous. In 2000, after the FBI concurred with
these results, Jackson was released from prison. The Certified Examiner was decertified
and lost his job. The Upper Darby Police and Anthony Paparo stand by the identification.
MSNBC “When Forensics Fail” Oct. 25, 2007
Danny McNamee - 1998
In 1986, Danny McNamee was sentenced for conspiracy to cause explosions in London and
found guilty of being "The Hyde Park Bomber". In 1998 his charges were quashed.
14 experts analyzed the latent prints and couldn't find more than 11 characteristics
in common (in a country that required 16 to make a positive identification).
Shirley McKie - 1997
In 1997, Shirley McKie, a detective with the Strathclyde Police in Scotland,
was charged with perjury after denying that she had left a fingerprint at the
murder scene of Marion Ross. David Asbury was convicted of this murder based
on other fingerprint evidence. Later both charges were overturned while the SCRO,
who performed the fingerprint analysis, stood by their identifications. On February 7, 2006,
just prior to Shirley McKie’s civil hearing, The Scottish Ministers settled out of court for the
full amount Ms. McKie was suing for, while not admitting to any errors.
Over 10 years after the murder the identifications were still under dispute and a resolution
seemed impossible. In April 2007, the examiners involved in this case were asked to resign.
4 of the 6 examiners (Robert McKenzie, Allan Dunbar, Hugh McPherson and Charlie Stewart)
took a redundancy package. One examiner, Tony McKenna, agreed to be redeployed to
Strathclyde Police. Fiona McBride refused to accept another job at 1/3 of her salary and
was fired on May 1, 2007. Fiona McBride is pursuing legal action.
Marion Ross – 1996
David Asbury was linked to the murder of Marion Ross after his fingerprint was identified on
a gift tag in her home and a latent print found on a candy tin in David Asbury’s home was
identified as that of Marion Ross. During the trial, the identification of a latent print from a
door frame was identified as belonging to Detective Shirley McKie. Ms. McKie insisted this
identification was erroneous. Subsequently, the previous identifications were questioned
and the identification of the print on the candy tin was declared to be erroneous. Despite
the uncertainty of the fingerprint evidence, David Asbury was found guilty of murder and
sentenced to life. In 2000, after spending 3 years in jail, Asbury won an appeal and his
conviction was eventually overturned. The SCRO, who made the identifications, stands
by their conclusions. In January 2006 it was reported that a 3rd erroneous ID was made
on a banknote linking Asbury to the murder. This was later reported as false information.
Over 10 years after the murder the identifications were still under dispute and a resolution
seemed impossible. In April 2007, the examiners involved in this case were asked to resign.
4 of the 6 examiners (Robert McKenzie, Allan Dunbar, Hugh McPherson and Charlie Stewart)
took a redundancy package. One examiner, Tony McKenna, agreed to be redeployed to
Strathclyde Police. Fiona McBride refused to accept another job at 1/3 of her salary and
was fired on May 1, 2007. Fiona McBride is pursuing legal action.
Andrew Chiory - 1997
In 1997, Andrew Chiory served 2 months in prison due to an erroneous identification
done by Scotland Yard. This was claimed to be the first mistaken identification by
Scotland Yard since the bureau's inception in 1901 (Cole, "Suspect Identities" 2001).
Neville Lee - 1991
In 1991, based on fingerprint evidence, Nottinghamshire police arrested Neville Lee
for raping an 11-year old girl. He was released only after someone else confessed
to the crime.
Barry Bowden and Mike Barrett - 1988
In North Carolina, officials had to reconsider 159 criminal cases because local
authorities discovered questionable fingerprint identifications. [FN110] The fingerprint
misidentification resulted in two murder charges being dropped by the district attorney's
office.
[FN110]. Barry Bowden and Mike Barrett, Fingerprint Errors Raise Questions on Local
Convictions, FAYETTEVILLE TIMES, Jan. 15, 1988, at 1A.
http://www.law-forensic.com/expert_malpractice_1.htm 01-19-2005
Michael Cooper - 1986
In 1986, Michael Cooper was wrongfully arrested as the Prime Time Rapist, when his
fingerprints were erroneously identified by the Tucson Police Department as those
from the Prime Time Rapist crime scenes. Within one day of his arrest it was found
that the prints did not match.
http://michaeljbloom.lawoffice.com/CustomPage_3.shtml 08-07-2004
Bruce Basden - 1986
In June 1985 Bruce Basden was arrested and indicted for the murders of Remus and
Blanche Adams in Fayetteville North Caroliana on the basis of a fingerprint found
in the decedents' home. [FN113] Basden's*53 attorney requested funds to have the
fingerprint evidence reappraised and filed a motion to discover the physical evidence
in the possession of the state. [FN114] "At this point the state's fingerprint expert
made enlargements of the prints from which he had made an identification of Basden as
the intruder .... The state's expert admitted that he found unexplained dissimilarities
along with similarities in the prints." [FN115] These discrepancies caused him to
change his mind. The state subsequently dismissed all charges against Basden, who had
been incarcerated in the local jail for thirteen months. [FN116]
http://www.law-forensic.com/expert_malpractice_1.htm#FN;F4 08-07-2004
Roger Caldwell - 1981
In 1977, Caldwell was convicted of 2 counts of murder partly based on latent print
evidence from an envelope. The latent prints in question were developed and identified
by Steven Sedlacek. A defense expert, Ronald Welbaum, agreed with the identification.
During the trial of a co-defendant (Caldwell’s wife), it was discovered that the original
latent had faded and another fingerprint expert testified that the images on the negatives
were very poor but his opinion was that they did not match Caldwell’s prints. In 1981 or
1982, the Minnesota Supreme Court granted Caldwell a new trial. In a plea agreement
Caldwell plead guilty in exchange for time served. In 1988, Caldwell committed suicide
still proclaiming his innocence. Steven Sedlacek’s and Ronald Welbaum’s IAI certifications
were revoked over this incident along with another certified examiner named Claude Cook.
Cook was decertified for submitting communication in support of the erroneous identification
(Cole, “Suspect Identities” 2001). In 2003, DNA testing was done on the envelope and it
was determined that the DNA on the adhesive portion of the envelope did belong to Caldwell.
William Stevens - 1926
In 1926, Stevens was one of several suspects in a double murder case known as the Hall-
Mills murders (New Jersey 1922). Retired Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Faurot, along
with Lieutenant Fred Drewen and Edward H. Schwartz, erroneously identified a latent print
on key evidence to William Stevens. J.H. Taylor and Gerhardt Kuhne (brother of Frederick
Kuhne) testified for the defense in this trial. William Stevens and the other suspects
were acquitted and the double murder was never solved.
Also see Fabricated Latent Prints, known cases of.
Error Rate
The Error Rate of fingerprint comparisons is constantly changing. The exact rate can never
be know but it can be estimated.
Error Rate Studies
-Peterson and Markham (1995) – “Crime Laboratory Proficiency Test Results”
-Dror, Peron, Hind, and Charlton (2005) – “When emotions get the better of us: The effect of
contextual top-down processing on matching fingerprints”
-Dror, Charlton, and Peron (2006) – “Contextual information renders experts vulnerable to
making erroneous identifications”
-Wertheim, Langenburg, and Moenssens (2006) – “A Report of Latent Print Examiner Accuracy
During Comparison Training Exercises”
Errors
-A correct conclusion was arrived at through unacceptable justification.
-A correct conclusion was arrived at but justification could not be demonstrated.
-An incorrect conclusion was arrived at.
Errors (types of)
a) Erroneous Individualization, aka a false positive or type 1 error.
b) False negative, aka false exclusion or a type 2 error.
c) Erroneous Verification.
d) Clerical Errors.
e) Missed Individualization.
Etched Print
The result of a chemical reaction between fingerprint residue and a substrate.
The acids in fingerprint residue deteriorate the substrate that was touched
leaving an impression of friction ridge detail. This usually occurs with
metals and leathers.
Ethanol
Solvent used in preparation of reagents, dye stains and rinses (ethyl alcohol).
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Ethyl Acetate
Solvent used in the preparation of reagents and dye stains.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes.
Informally started in March of 1993 and formally founded in Oct. 1995,
the ENFSI is the European equivalent of the American Society of Crime
Laboratory Directors (ASCLD).
Evaluation
The determination of the significance, value, or clarity of a friction
ridge impression by careful observation and study.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Part of the ACE-V methodology. The result of the comparison is the evaluation
process or making a conclusion.
The process of examining a system or system component to determine the extent
to which specified properties are present.
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2004 Denis Howe
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=evaluation 01-05-2005
Evans, Edward A.
Son of Captain Michael Evans. One of Ferrier's nine fingerprint students
taught in 1904 during the World's Fair. Superintendent of the National
Bureau of Identification.
Evans, Captain Emmett A. (?-Dec. 23, 1953)
Son of Captain Michael Evans. One of Ferrier's nine fingerprint students
taught in 1904 during the World's Fair. Chief Identification Inspector
for the Chicago Police Department.
Evans, Captain Michael P. (?-Oct. 7, 1931)
Implemented the Bertillon system in 1888 at the Chicago Police Department
and implemented the fingerprint system in 1905 while he was the Chief of
the Identity Bureau. Testified in "People vs. Jennings".
Evans, William M.
Son of Captain Michael Evans. Testified in "People vs. Jennings". Head
of the Chicago Police Department Bureau of Identification.
Evans, Captain William K.
In 1916, as a retired Captain of the U.S. Army Intelligence Service, Capt.
Evans along with T.G. Cooke founded the first home study course in fingerprint
identification. Located in Chicago, Illinois and originally named "Evans
University", the name was changed one year later to the "University of Applied
Science". Around 1929 the name was again changed to the "Institute of Applied
Science". Evans connection with the school only lasted one year. In 1917,
Evans was called back to active duty to serve in World War I.
Evans University
See Institute of Applied Science.
Evett – Williams Study
In 1989 I. W. Evett and R.L. Williams did a review of the 16 point standard used
in England and Wales (the 16-point standard was abandoned by England and
Wales in 2001). Their review included the historical aspects, statistical aspects,
visits to different agencies, and a review of practitioners comparisons
(practitioners conducted 10 comparisons). By the end of their review they
determined there was no need for the 16 point standard.
While conducting their study they found that examiners had a high variation
in how many points they stated were in common while conducting comparisons.
Evett and Williams concluded that “….decision making in relation to individual
points of comparison is highly subjective.”
The variation in the results may have been due to how the questions were
phrased. On the answer sheet of this study practitioners were asked to count
‘ridge characteristics in agreement’ and in another part of the study they
asked for “..the number of points of similarity” (pg 16 of the study results).
There seems to be a wide variation between how practitioners view ‘points’
and ‘characteristics’. The term ‘points’ generally refers to bifurcations and
ending ridges while the term ‘characteristics’ can refer to large pores,
incipient ridges, dots, scars, etc. It’s possible that the variation between
practitioners in this study was due to a lack of clarity in the directions.
Exact Science
Historically, this expression comes from Aristotle. He used the phrase to
describe sciences that demonstrate precise conclusions from known principles;
philosophy, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and harmonics. Ptolemy argued
that philosophy was less precise and was not based from known principles.
In the 17th century, the meaning of this expression began to change.
Mathematics no longer appeared to be a science, but the language of or an
assistant to science. Physics is now regarded as an exact science.
Exchange Principle
See Locard's Principle of Exchange.
Exclusion
The determination that two areas of friction ridge impressions did not originate
from the same source (non-identification).
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Exemplar
Friction ridge record of an individual, recorded electronically, photographically,
by ink or other medium.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf
Expert
Person with much skill who knows a great deal about some special thing; has
an in-depth understanding of a subject.
Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis, David R. Ashbaugh 1999 CRC Press
A person with great knowledge, skill or experience in a specific subject.
Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary, Office Edition.
Houghton Mifflin Publishing Co. Copyright 1984, Berkley Addition.
Explainable Differences (in friction ridge identifications)
Differences in appearance that don't interfere with the identification process.
These differences can include such things as size, thickness of ridges, distortion
and level 3 characteristics being absent in one impression. Typically these
differences are a result of one of the "Latent Print Recovery Conditions".
Extrusion Marks
Marks that are made when casting metals or plastics. These marks can resemble
friction ridge detail by replication ridges with bifurcations and ending ridges.
These marks typically appear with a wavy motion and have no signs of pores
or ridge edges. These marks have been called sprue marks and/or false ridge
detail.
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