Fingerprints
What are the three main types of fingerprint patterns?
Loops, Whorls, Arches
What part of the gun leaves unique markings on a bullet?
The barrel/rifling
What is the study of handwriting for identification called?
Forensic Document Examination
What type of evidence can be classified as class or individual depending on how it’s examined?
Bullet or firearm evidence
What are the raised parts of the fingerprint pattern called?
Ridges
Which type of print is invisible until developed?
Latent print
What does GSR stand for?
Gunshot Residue
What is the personality-focused form of handwriting study called?
Graphology
What kind of fingerprint impression is made in soft material like wax or clay?
Plastic print
What type of evidence is handwriting classified as?
Individual evidence
What is the computerized system used to store fingerprint data?
AFIS
Which part of the gun strikes the primer to fire the bullet?
Firing pin
List two individual handwriting characteristics.
Slant, spacing, pressure, loops, baseline alignment
What type of evidence can link a bullet to a specific firearm through microscopic markings?
Ballistic evidence (specifically, bullet striations or firing pin impressions)
What’s the term for spiral grooves cut into a gun barrel?
Rifling
What chemical is used to develop fingerprints on paper?
Ninhydrin
What type of evidence are unique bullet striations considered?
Individual evidence
Name one sign that handwriting may have been forged.
Hesitation marks, tremors, inconsistent pressure, tracing
What is the difference between class and individual evidence?
Class = group source; Individual = specific source
What can the spacing between words in handwriting suggest?
The writer’s habits or individual characteristics
What are two examples of individual characteristics in a fingerprint?
Ridge endings, bifurcations, dots, islands (any two)
What does trajectory analysis help determine?
The bullet’s path and point of origin
What type of light helps detect erasures or alterations?
Infrared or ultraviolet light
Why are fingerprints considered the best form of identification?
They are unique and never change over a person’s lifetime
What does the acronym AFIS stand for?
Automated Fingerprint Identification System