Reading Comprehension

PT136 · S1 · P2 · Q9 Reliability and Admissibility of Fingerprint Evidence

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Passage A In this appeal of his criminal conviction, the defendant challenges the fingerprint evidence used against him at trial, claiming that fingerprint identification theory has not been adequately tested.

Topic

The reliability and standards of fingerprint identification as evidence in criminal trials

Framework

Present Debate

Main Point

Passage A argues that while fingerprint identification may lack uniform scientific standards, it is a valuable and reliable form of evidence that courts should continue to accept. Passage B, in contrast, points out the lack of objective standards and the unknown error rates, challenging the premise that fingerprint identification is as reliable as claimed. *The Most Valuable Sentences:* - Passage A: (P3). - Passage B: (P1).

Passage A: Court Response to the Challenge

The defendant in a criminal trial challenges the fingerprint evidence used to convict him, focusing on the lack of scientific testing, absence of studies proving the uniqueness of fingerprints, and undefined error rates. He also criticizes the lack of uniform standards among examiners, especially regarding the number of matching features needed for identification.

P2: Concerns About Standards and Error Rates

The defendant argues that examiners don’t have consistent guidelines and references courtroom testimony that there's no standard for “points of identification.” He emphasizes that error rates for fingerprint misidentification aren't established.

P3: Court Defense of Fingerprint Evidence

Although the court concedes that fingerprint evidence isn’t a “scientific law,” it notes a long history of expert agreement on its reliability and widespread courtroom use. The judge acknowledges that more rigorous standards may be helpful, but sees no cause to reject print evidence entirely due to its track record.

9.

The authors would be most likely to disagree about

  1. whether uniformity in the training

    Both Probably Agree

    Passage A emphasizes uniform standards as a good thing, and Passage B mentions a lack of uniformity as a bad thing, so they would both agree that we'd want uniform standards in training.

    4% picked this

  2. Correct

    the likelihood that a fingerprint

    Why this is right

    They definitely disagree in their assessment of the error rate of fingerprinting, with Passage A acting like it's known that it's exceedingly low and Passage B acting like it's unknown / it's received little study. The final sentence of Passage A: the trial court was within its discretion in crediting testimony that fingerprint identification has an exceedingly low error rate. Final paragraph of Passage B: The error rate has received little systematic study ... a more rigorous test showed a 34% rate of error. This answer is somewhat frustrating because it's not like Passage A offers one number and Passage B offers a different number. But "exceedingly low" vs. "unknown / possibly as bad as 34%" are still two very different answers if someone is asked, "What's the likelihood a fingerprint examiner will incorrectly declare a match?"

    Skill tested: Author Opinion · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    67% picked this

  3. whether fingerprint identification should be

    Both Probably Agree

    Scientific law is not brought up in Passage B at all, but we can probably assume that Passage B, with all his doubts about fingerprinting, would say, "No, it shouldn't be considered scientific law!" Does the author of Passage A think it should be? At the beginning of her 2nd paragraph, she says: Although fingerprint identification has not attained the status of scientific law, it has been used 100 years. No, that's not a sentence from which we could derive, "She thinks fingerprint examination should be considered scientific law!"

    8% picked this

  4. the relative merits of the

    Fails Both

    This answer is suggesting that one of the authors thinks that the point-counting system is better, while the other author thinks that the holistic method is better. Neither author expressed a definitive preference one way or the other.

    18% picked this

  5. whether different agencies vary in

    Both Probably Agree

    It seems like both authors would agree that, yes, different agencies vary in the degree of correlation required of "a match". The first sentence of Passage A's last paragraph says: While it may be true that different agencies require difference degrees of correlation ... And since Passage B thinks there aren't consistent standards anywhere, he would be likely to agree with that. His very first sentence suggests as much.

    4% picked this

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