Lesson 4:: Legal Basis of Fingerprint Evidence Dactyloscopy and Other Allied Sciences

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LESSON 4:

LEGAL BASIS OF FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE

DACTYLOSCOPY AND OTHER ALLIED SCIENCES

OTHER SCIENTIFIC MEANS OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION


01
LEGAL BASIS OF
FINGERPRINT
EVIDENCE
PEOPLE VS. JENNINGS
Pass upon the admissibility
of fingerprint evidence
Case Digest
RULE:
The law governing sufficiency-of-the-evidence challenges applies both to convictions and
special circumstance findings. In reviewing a claim for sufficiency of the evidence, an
appellate court must determine whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable
to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the
crime or special circumstance beyond a reasonable doubt. The appellate court reviews the
entire record in the light most favorable to the judgment below to determine whether it
discloses sufficient evidence - that is, evidence that is reasonable, credible, and of solid value
- supporting the decision, and not whether the evidence proves guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt. The appellate court neither reweighs the evidence nor reevaluates the credibility of
witnesses. The appellate court presumes in support of the judgment the existence of every
fact the jury reasonably could deduce from the evidence. If the circumstances reasonably
justify the findings made by the trier of fact, reversal of the judgment is not warranted simply
because the circumstances might also reasonably be reconciled with a contrary finding.
Case Digest
FACTS:
A San Bernardino County jury found defendant Martin Carl Jennings
guilty of the first degree murder of his five-year-old son, Arthur
Jennings. The jury further found true the special circumstance that the
murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture, but found
not true the special circumstance that defendant intentionally killed
Arthur by the administration of poison. Following the penalty phase of
the trial, the jury returned a verdict of death. After denying Jennings’
motion for a new trial and his application for modification of
the judgment, the trial court sentenced Jennings to death. This appeal
is automatic.
Case Digest
ISSUE:
Was there sufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that
Jennings was guilty of first-degree murder on each of the three
theories advanced by the prosecution - murder by poison, murder by
torture, and premeditated murder?

ANSWER:
Yes.
● STATE vs. CERCIELLO
- Fingerprint evidence was permitted
to be introduced.

● STATE vs. CONNERS


- It was held competent to show by a
photograph the fingerprints upon a
balcony post of a house entered,
without producing that post in
court

● PEOPLE vs. CORRAL (California)


-
It is completeley seettled law that
fingerprint are strongest evidence of
the identity of a person. It was
reserted in another California case,
People vs. Riser-fingerprint evidence
is the strongerst evidence of identity
and is ordinarily sufficient aid to
identify the defendant.
● BALINGAWA vs. AMAD0R (Phil)

- A fingerprint expert and


constabulary segeant testified
and succesfully defended
fingerprint evidence based on
eight identical ridge points .

● PEOPLE vs. MEDINA


- The first leading judicial decision
in the Phil. Jurisprudence on the
science of fingerprinting.
02
DACTYLOSCOPY
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ETIMOLOGY
DACTYLOSCOPY The word “DACTYLOSCOPY” was
? believed to be derived from 2
Greek words:

DACTYL
A finger

SKOPEIN
To examine
DACTYLOMANCY DERMATOGLYPHICS
DACTYLOGRAPHY
The study of An attempt at Are lines, tracing
fingerprints for character reading and designs on the
the purpose of through the skin of fingers,
identification. pattern of plams and soles.
fingerprints

A hand having more than the required numbers


of fingers

POLYDACTYL
Other Allied Sciences of
Dactyloscopy

CHIROSCOPY
POROSCOPY
PODOSCOPY
CHIROSCOPY
The scientific examination
of the palm of the hand

Chier Palm/hand

Skopein To examine
PODOSCOPY
The scientific examination
of the sole of the foot

Podo Sole/foot

Skopein To examine
POROSCOPY
The scientific examination
of sweat pores/glands

Poros A pore

Skopein To examine
03
Other Scientific
Means of Personal
Identification
HANDPRINTS
Just like
fingerprints, handprints
have their own unique
ridges. The ridges
continue down to the palm
and can be also used for
identification.
FOOTPRINTS
Shoeprints can be lifted or
developed in order to compare worn
edges or differences in the bottom
of the shoe. The way a person walks
causes the shoe to be worn in a
certain pattern and there will be
breaks or small cracks. Feet also
have unique prints like finger that
can be used to identify with a
suspect print. When dealing with
shoeprints of footprints, there is a
larger surface so the
characteristics are spread out and
harder to mistake so fewer points of
comparison are needed for a positive
identification than fingerprints.
RETINA
●RETINAL
PATTERNS
SCAN works in the
principle of retina pattern
uniqueness.

●It uses a low-intensity infrared


light that is projected through
to the back of the eye onto the
retina.
BERTILLON
SYSTEM
This method was
developed by Alphonse Bertillon, a
French anthropologist which
emphasized the measurement of the
body as a means of identification.
The theory states that “if a man
reaches the age of twenty years
old, he already has developed a
permanent body structure thus it
will enable the investigator to
measure fully the body and put it
in record.”
ODONTOLOGY This system measures
the teeth structure as means of
identification. Investigators
usually resorts to this
identification system in cases
where a skull or skeletal remains
are found and no other means of
identification can be established.
Forensic Dentistry/ Orthodontology
Forensic Odontology A branch of dentistry
The proper handling, that deals with
examination and evaluation of diagnosis, treatment
dental evidence, which will be and prevention of
then presented in the interest dentofacial
of justice. anomalies.
BITE MARKS
The other type of evidence is that
bite marks, left on either the
victim, the perpetrator, or on an
object found at the crime scene.
Bite marks are often found on
children who are abused.

●Each thirty-two teeth in humans is


unique due to age and wear.

●Eighty percent of the time teeth


impressions are used to identify
unknown victims.
Hair
Examination
Hair examination is
one of the oldest forms of
physical evidence. It is used to
determine the ff.;

●If suspected hair originates


from human or animal

●If human,what oart of the body


did it come from?
Blood
Examination
spilled in
Blood is usually
most crimes
involving violence and it may
be shed by the criminal while
committing other crimes. It is
the best specimen for testing
for alcohol in sobriety
examinations. It is also used
to investigate disputed
paternity cases.
DNA
Fingerprinting
DNA Fingerprinting, method of
identification that compares
fragments of Deoxyribonucleic
Acid (DNA). It is sometimes
called DNA Typing.

●DNA is the genetic material


found within the cell nuclei of
all living things.

●DNA Fingerprinting is
constructed by first extracting
a DNA sample from body tissue
or fluid such as blood or
saliva.
●DNA
DNA
Fingerprinting
fingerprinting was
developed as an identification
technique, in 1985. Originally
used to detect the presence of
genetic diseases.

●The first criminal conviction


based on DNA evidence in the
United States occurred in 1988.

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