Fingerprinting - Criminal Justice 101

Why are fingerprints important:

 1. Offer an infallible means of personal identification

2\. It is the essential explanation for establishing the identities of criminals reluctant to admit previous arrests

Fingerprints remain the most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide. T/F

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Criminal Identification History, Pt. 1:

Before the mid-1800s, law enforcement officers with extraordinary visual memories identified previously arrested offenders by sight “camera eyes.”

Criminal Identification History, Pt. 2:

Next came photography which lessened the burden on the memory but was not the answer to the criminal identification problem

Babylon:

* 1,000-2,000 B.C- In ancient Babylon, fingerprints were used on clay tablets for business transactions.

China:

* In 3rd B.C.- fingerprints were used on clay seals in China to “sign” documents.

Malpighi:

In 1686- **Malpighi**, a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna, noted that ridges on the hands are for grip and the ridges on the feet are for traction. He also noted spirals and loops in the fingerprints through a microscope.

Purkinje:

1823- **Purkinje** published his thesis discussing nine fingerprint patterns, but he made too made no mention of the value of fingerprints for personal identification.

Purpose of Flat Impressions:

The **flat impressions** are used to **verify** the accuracy of the **rolled impression.**

**Sir William Herschel:**

**1858 - Sir William Herschel:** first to use hand prints to sign contacts with Native Indians. The English felt that using this form made the contract more binding. Herschel fingerprinted himself 50 years apart and realized that they did not change. Noted that the inked impressions could prove or disprove identity. Fingerprints are unique to the individual as well as permanency throughout life.

Dr. Henry Faulds:

1880- **Dr. Henry Faulds**, a British surgeon, discussed fingerprints as a means of personal identification and use of printers in as a method of obtaining fingerprints. He was also **credited with the first fingerprint identification.**

Alphonse Bertillon:

1882: **Alphonse Bertillon** devised Anthropometry- a system to measure and record the dimensions of **11 body parts of prisoners.** These measurements were reduced to a formula that, theoretically, would apply only to one person and would not change during his/her lifetime. This Bertillon System, named after its inventor, Alphonse Bertillon, was accepted for 30 years.

Bertillion System -

This Bertillon System, named after its inventor, Alphonse Bertillon, was accepted for 30 years until Will West was sentenced to the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. It was discovered that there was already a prisoner there that had nearly the same measurements and was named William West. Upon investigation, the two men looked exactly alike, and their names were Will and Willam. The Bertillon system was close enough to identify them as the same person. However, a fingerprint comparison quickly and correctly identified them as different people. Prison records showed that the West Men were apparently twin brothers, and each had a record of correspondence with the same immediate family relative.

Francis Galton:

**1888- Francis Galton** was the first to prove that no two fingerprints are alike and they remain the same throughout life. Calculated a 1 in 64 billion chance in a similarity of print. Wrote a book called fingerprints, describing how to take them as well as the arch, loop, and whorl pattern. He's the cousin of Charles Darwin.

Juan Vucetich:

**Juan Vucetich** made the first criminal fingerprint identification in 1892. He identified a woman who murdered her two sons and cut her own throat in an attempt to place blame on her husband. Her bloody print was left on a door post; this bloody print proved she was the murderer.

**Sir Edward Richard Henry:**

**1901- Sir Edward Richard Henry** instituted a fingerprinting program for all prisoners. He developed a classification system that organized prints in a file which made it easier to search. Used to this day.

Steps for Fingerprinting:

1. The fingers to be printed must be clean and dry.
2. The individual should be asked to stand to the right and at arm's length from the fingerprint device. 
3. Individual needs to be relaxed and have him/her focus on another object away from the device.
4. Grasp the hand at the base and cup the individual's finger, guiding the finger to be printed with the other hand on an ink pad.
5. The ink should cover from one edge of the nail to the other as well as the joint crease.
6. Roll from side to side in the appropriate space and life finger then to prevent smearing.
7. Plain impressions are made last and at the bottom of the card. Simultaneously press all four fingers.

**Dr. Henry P. DeForrest**

1902. Dr. Henry P. DeForrest instituted the first systematic use of fingerprints in the United States.

International Association for Identification.

**1915**- **International Association for Identification** Sir Francis Galton’s right index finger appears in the IAI logo

**The largest IAFIS repository in America is operated by the ___**

Department of Homeland Security 2007. Contains 74 million fingerprints.

Similarities with other animals:

It’s almost impossible to distinguish koala from humans in terms of fingerprints because of the ridges’ patterns, shape, and size. Though, the main difference is that the entire palm of humans are covered in ridges while the koalas only have them on the fingertips and some parts of the palm.