Advances in Fingerprint Technology.pdf

work will quite often fare badly under rigorous cross-examination when
defending their findings in a court of law.
Individualization is unique to forensic science; it refers to the demonstration
that a particular sample is unique, even among members of the same class. It
may also refer to the demonstration that a questioned piece of physical evidence
and a similar known sample have a common origin. Thus, in addition to class
characteristics, objects and materials possess individual characteristics that can
be used to distinguish members of the same class. The nature of these individual
characteristics varies from one type of evidence to another, but forensic scientists
try to take advantage of them in an effort to individualize a piece of physical
evidence. Not all evidence can be truly individualized, but with some kinds, an
approach to the goal of individualization is possible. We refer to those as partial
individualization, and in some cases they are nothing more than refined identifications,
such as conventional genetic marker determination of a bloodstain,
microscopical fiber evidence comparison, or trace elemental analysis of paint
chips. The term identification is sometimes used to mean personal identification
(the individualization of persons). Fingerprints, for example, are often used to
“identify” an individual. The terminology is unfortunate, since this process is
really individualization. Likewise, dental evidence and dental records may be
used by a forensic odontologist in making personal individualization in situations
where dead bodies cannot otherwise be readily identified, such as mass
disasters and cases involving fire or explosions.
The little information that is available in the identification literature
regarding the processes of evaluation and individualization usually covers
only the numbers of points required for an identification or the methods of
demonstrating an identification in legal proceedings. The methods of courtroom
presentation of fingerprint evidence may provide a clue as to the
rationale of some examiners when making an identification in as much as
these presentations may be viewed as models of the methodology of these
examiners in arriving at their conclusions. In review of the available literature
and training manuals, there are eight models currently used by latent print
examiners for the evaluation and individualization of latent fingerprints.
Osborn Grid Method
The Osborn grid method (Figure 2.2) consists of photographing the latent
and inked prints and making photographic enlargements of each. 4 A nonstandard
grid of equally sized squares is superimposed on each enlargement
with the squares of each grid occupying identical positions on each print. Both
prints are examined, square for square, and the points of identity in each are
noted. If all the available points in each square are identical between the latent
and the known print, then an identification (individualization) is declared.