Definitions
Verification.
What is the procedure that must be genuinely independent rather than simply having another examiner reach the same conclusion?
A latent fingerprint.
What is the type of evidence that examiners used to connect Brandon Mayfield to the bombing?
Verification by another examiner.
What is the important safeguard that was supposed to help detect the incorrect fingerprint identification?
Experts can share the same assumptions.
What is the reason that agreement between experts is not necessarily proof that a conclusion is correct?
The Madrid Train Bombings.
What is the event that occurred in 2004 that led investigators to examine a latent fingerprint found on a bag of detonators?
Context.
What is a concept that describes information that can influence how evidence is interpreted?
Agreed with the FBI's identification.
What is something a court-appointed defense expert initially did regarding the fingerprint identification?
They identified another person as being the source.
What is something Spanish authorities eventually determined about the fingerprint?
Expertise and agreement do not eliminate human error.
What is a lesson that the Mayfield case teaches about forensic expertise?
An Attorney
What is Brandon Mayfield's profession?
Contextual bias.
What is the issue that occurs when information known about a case influence the interpretation of forensic evidence?
Errors in the examination procedure.
What is a problem that investigators found with the original examination?
Trained examiners made an incorrect identification despite their expertise.
What is the reason the Mayfield case is an example of human error in forensic science?
Ambiguous evidence, contextual information, and failed verification.
What is 3 factors in the Mayfield case that can create forensic errors?
The FBI.
What is the federal agency that identified Mayfield as being the source of the fingerprint?