Law enforcement has utilized fingerprints to aid in solving crimes for over a century. Since every person’s fingerprints are unique, investigators in Ohio often rely on them to connect a suspect to a crime scene. However, fingerprint evidence isn’t perfect. Mistakes can happen during the collection and analysis processes, and many innocent people have been wrongly accused as a result.
If you’re a defendant, learning about how fingerprints are used in court and when they can be challenged can potentially make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.
Continue reading to learn more about how this evidence works and how a criminal defense attorney can assist you in challenging fingerprint evidence in your case.
How Is Fingerprint Evidence Collected?
Your fingertips are covered in small ridges that form unique patterns. When you touch a surface, these ridges can leave behind prints made of sweat or oils.
Investigators use different methods to reveal and collect them, such as:
- Dusting for prints: Applying powder to smooth surfaces like glass and metal
- Chemical testing: Using substances like ninhydrin to expose prints on porous materials
- Digital scanning: Capturing prints with high-tech cameras and comparing them in databases
Once a print is collected, it can be checked against AFIS, the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. This nationwide database enables law enforcement to match prints from crime scenes with those of known individuals.
How Are Fingerprints Used in Ohio Criminal Cases?
In Ohio, fingerprint evidence is generally admissible if it’s collected and analyzed correctly. Prosecutors use it to link a defendant to an object or location connected to a crime.
Fingerprint evidence often appears in cases involving:
- Burglary and theft, where prints are found on doors, safes, and cash registers
- Violent crimes, such as domestic violence, homicides, or assaults, when prints are discovered on weapons
- Drug offenses, when a suspect’s prints appear on packaging or containers
- Vehicle crimes, such as auto theft, when prints are located inside a stolen car
While fingerprints can be strong evidence, they only show that a person touched something, not when or why. That’s why context is so important in these cases.
Problems With Fingerprint Evidence
Although fingerprint science has been used for decades, it still depends heavily on human judgment. If the evidence is handled carelessly, it can be unreliable.
Problems that can lead to mistakes include:
- Smudged and/or partial prints that are difficult to match
- Contamination from investigators and other people at the scene
- Environmental damage from heat, water, and dirt
- Human error, such as misreading or mislabeling a print
- Breaks in the chain of custody, raising doubts about evidence handling or tampering
Two experts can sometimes look at the same print and reach different conclusions. For that reason, defense lawyers in Ohio often question the accuracy of fingerprint evidence and the methods used to collect it.
How Can a Criminal Defense Attorney Challenge Fingerprint Evidence?
If fingerprint evidence is used in your case, your defense attorney can take steps to challenge it.
They might:
- Examine whether the police followed proper collection procedures
- Question a lab analyst to determine if they are qualified to analyze evidence
- Review the methods used to compare prints
- Argue that the print doesn’t prove you were present at the time of the crime
- Retain an independent expert to review the evidence
Fingerprint evidence is rarely enough to convict someone on its own. Prosecutors typically require additional evidence—such as DNA, witness statements, and video footage—to substantiate their case.
Expert Testimony in Ohio Courts
In Ohio, fingerprint evidence must be presented by a qualified expert who can explain the process clearly. Experts can testify about the relevance and reliability of fingerprint evidence – such as what tools were used to collect or analyze the prints and how reliable the match is.
A criminal defense attorney can bring in their own expert to challenge those findings. If the defense shows that the analysis wasn’t done correctly or that the results are uncertain, the judge might exclude the evidence altogether.
Contact Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers for a Free Consultation With a Port Clinton Criminal Defense Lawyer
Fingerprint evidence can play a major role in an Ohio criminal case, but it’s not always conclusive. If the police claim they found your fingerprints at a crime scene, you still have rights, and Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers can help you protect them.
It’s important to remember that the prosecution has a heavy burden of proof to meet in order to convict you, and having certain evidence excluded could make the difference in the ultimate outcome. Contact a trusted Port Clinton criminal defense attorney today at (419) 871-3995 to schedule a free consultation and discuss your next steps.