Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MARCH 2016 33 I f you thought the war on police was bad, just wait until you hear about the war on cur- rent practices in forensic science. It appears that the idea that forensic experts can match a bullet or shell casing found at a crime scene to a specific weapon with 100 percent accuracy is just not realistic. At least that’s what a D.C. Court of Appeals judge wrote recently. The opinion, by Associate Judge Catharine Easterly, is the latest assault on the va- lidity of forensic techniques and testimony relied upon in thousands of criminal convictions. Easterly’s opinion came in response to an appeal brought by a man convicted of murder. In that trial a D.C. police forensics expert declared a “unique” match between bullet slugs recovered from the victim’s car and a hand- gun found in the suspect’s bedroom. “Those markings are unique to that gun and that gun only,” Luciano Morales testified, according to court filings. “Item Number 58 fired these three bullets,” he told the jury, referring to the handgun by its trial exhibit number. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Dis- trict called the error “regret- table.” They said that forensic practitioners should not state conclusions to an “absolute” or “100 percent scientific certainty” because that tes- timony would be false. “The error is more than regrettable. It is alarming,” Easterly wrote in a concur- ring opinion. Easterly wrote in her opin- ion that the FBI bullet-lead test evidence is about as believable as “the vision of a psychic – a statement of “foundationless faith in what he believes to be true.” Because Easterly’s state- ment was delivered in a concurring opinion, it does not carry the force of law. But the writing’s on the wall as far as any scientific validity regarding compara- tive bullet-lead analysis. Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said it is reviewing the ruling and had no comment. Despite widespread criti- cism from scientists and now a judge, prosecutors say pattern matching remains widely accepted by scien- tific practitioners and the courts. For how much longer is an open question. Court throws doubt on validity of evidence It’s important not to “over-sell” when seeking convictions Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. – Wyatt Earp PELICAN: WE HAVE YOU COVERED. You can extend your range and impact with the right flashlight from Pelican. From tactical operations to patrolling the neighborhood, Pelican has the best tools for the job. Go to Pelican.com for all the specs. 7000 LED TACTICAL LIGHT The First Pelican Tactical Light To Break 600 Lumens 2380R LED TACTICAL LIGHT 305 LUMENS 7060 LED TACTICAL LIGHT 368 LUMENS 8060 LED DUTY LIGHT 803 LUMENS NEW PELICAN™ 7000 LED FLASHLIGHT 602 LUMENS SHATTER THE LUMEN CEILING PELICAN.COM/APB • 866.838.9285 GUARANTEED FOR LIFE SEE PELICAN.COM/WARRANTY FOR FULL DETAILS. Pelican Products, Inc. 23215 Early Avenue, Torrance, CA 90505 Tel 310.326.4700 Fax 310.326.3311 All trademarks are registered and/or unregistered trademarks of Pelican Products, Inc., its subsidiaries and/or affiliates.