Fingerprint Evidence in Iraqi Courts

[L.J.Steele]

From Today's Washington Post

"In June, for example, 17 fingerprint matches led to the detention of 10 Iraqi suspects and a hunt for seven others, officials said. Because the Iraqi judicial system traditionally has relied on confessions, witness statements and photographic evidence, two American forensics experts on July 13 gave 30 judges at the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad a 90-minute tutorial on fingerprinting. U.S. officials hope to begin introducing fingerprint evidence in Iraqi trials this year. "

I hadn't realized fingerprint evidence was foreign to Iraqi courts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 7092900754

[Steve Everist]

From Today's Washington Post

"two American forensics experts on July 13 gave 30 judges at the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad a 90-minute tutorial on fingerprinting. U.S. officials hope to begin introducing fingerprint evidence in Iraqi trials this year. "

I hadn't realized fingerprint evidence was foreign to Iraqi courts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 7092900754

I just talked with Wade Petroka, who left King County early this year to go to Iraq, that earlier this year he gave a presentation to the Iraqi courts on fingerprints. It sounds like he's one of the two mentioned in the story. He had also mentioned that he had given evidence in an Iraqi trial not long before coming back to the States last month.

[wkpetroka]

L.J. Steele,

I will try to touch on as much about this as I can. Due to military classifications and the fact that most of this is still ongoing, I cannot give out too many details.

Fingerprints have been used for known to known comparison in Iraq for years. Latent prints have never been obtained or admissible in Iraqi courts. They have always thought of them and other forensic disciplines as a “voodoo science”. In July, my in country case manager and I gave the first ever presentation to the entire Iraqi court on latent fingerprints, the comparison process and where the materials come from. I was then asked to present the first ever testimony in the Iraqi courts on a latent fingerprint identification. The first case was presented in late August. Part of the acceptance process is for the defendant to view the evidence. Once he saw the evidence, he changed his plea and admitted to the event. That case is now in the sentencing phase. I presented the second case in mid September and at that time I was given the opportunity to testify in front of the Iraqi courts. My testimony was accepted and the case will be finishing up shortly.

V/r
Wade

[Graham F]

The science of fingerprints is not a totally new subject to the local Iraqi’s.
Prior to the formation of the Coalition the Iraqi police had a Russian made AFIS system in country, which was used for 10 print work.

We installed their Motorola/Printrak Omnitrak system for them in 2005. The problem they have is mainly cultural in nature, in that under their old politically influenced system someone could bring in a relative to work within the system without any training whatsoever. This political situation is now somewhat minimized. That said, they have done latent comparison work and have produced identifications/individualizations. Indeed there are 2 examiners who are as good as many I have met back in the US. However, their previous training is not well documented by our standards, but then this is the same for some US examiners, with no standard training program.

Whilst they have had identifications before the Coalition arrived on the scene, the issue is converting the identification into a formal statement of evidence for acceptance before a court of law for a legal proceeding we would understand. Prior to all this it would have been dealt with in some other manner, which you may wish to interpret for yourself.

[sandra wiese]

Can't speak for anyone else, but I would be greatly interested if someone who has been there and has some inside knowledge would maybe write an article for the Detail about the Iraqi take on forensic science and what the US LPE's are doing over there and such. It's not like we ever get to know about that kind of thing in the popular media and I had no idea FP evidence was not routinely used there, etc.

Fill us all in, pleasepleaseprettypleasewithsugarontop?

; )
Sandra

[Steve Everist]

Can't speak for anyone else, but I would be greatly interested if someone who has been there and has some inside knowledge would maybe write an article for the Detail about the Iraqi take on forensic science and what the US LPE's are doing over there and such. It's not like we ever get to know about that kind of thing in the popular media and I had no idea FP evidence was not routinely used there, etc.

Fill us all in, pleasepleaseprettypleasewithsugarontop?

; )
Sandra

I'm guessing that the reason we don't hear much about it, considering there have been LPE's in Iraq for over a couple of years, is because of the top secret nature. I've known a couple of people who have been back and forth over the last couple of years, and for the most part everything I've heard is pretty general. My guess is that's by design.

[Graham F]

Sandra

What Steve states is quite correct. The forensic personnel generally require a secret clearance for these positions. Also the nature of the work undertaken, bearing in mind who is the prime customer, plus what we are attempting to achieve through forensics, full and open discussion of the work related issues are not possible. However, some aspects have already been widely publicized in various newsprint publications.
Besides the main thrust to which I allude above, there is a great training need for the local Iraqi LPE's, AFIS personnel, other forensic disciplines as well as crime scene examiners. Obviously "on job" training in crime scene examination has its many drawbacks in such a hostile environment and I am sure you can get my drift on this particular subject matter.

The local Iraqi print personnel, place themselves in danger everyday in just coming to work. In and out of the Zone ensures they are a target and sadly one of them had their father murdered by the insurgents/terrorists.

Try getting this in perspective. How would you like to continually move and change your home for fear of being followed to and from your workplace? To maintain their job, they ensure that they will always be a target. Such is life for Iraqi print personnel.

Cannot say too much more than this, but as Wade mentioned in earlier posts, Coalition forensic personnel are generally “behind the wire” on a base. We only used to venture out to travel from A to B to other forensic & AFIS facilities, or to other military bases to give training.

I hope to be at the Florida IAI conference later this month, so if you are there, look me up, notwithstanding the restrictions I am placed under; I will however still have to abide by them.