Howard Speaks
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:43 am
When I read in the "Breaking News" Section of CLPEX about the death of Howard Speaks it sent me back in time to when I was at the start of my career in forensics. It was during my first year of being an Identification Technician with the Sanata Monica Police Department. I came into work (swing shift) and my trainer, Ed Romero, told me that a defense expert had come in that day to review one of my cases. Since this was the first time anyone had done this, I was naturally nervous, being a rookie and everything. I quickly asked Ed what did the guy say about it....and in Ed Romero fashion he told me that the guy really didn't say much, that he looked at it and kind of shook his head and left. Then Ed added on, "Oh, one more thing, the defense expert was Howard Speaks."
Now you have to remember that this was before the Internet and Chatboards and I was a young idiot trying to be cool and just starting out as a Latent Examiner. In Southern California Howard Speaks was like Dave Grieve, Pat Wertheim and Ron Smith rolled into one. Almost anyone who worked in the Los Angeles area in the 60s, 70s or 80s knew or was trained by Howard Speaks.....I remember that day my heart just stopped!!!!
I guess my identification passed the muster, but at trial Howard was there and the Defense wanted him to review a palm print that I happened to identify on the case subsequent to his first review. During the break, he was looking at the ID and I was standing near the table with the Prosecutor (funny how this type of thing probabaly doesn't happen much anymore). At one point the Defense Counsel asked me if I was "hovering" to try and intimidate his Defense Expert. I looked at him and replied, "If anyone around here was getting intimidated, it was me. Don't you know who this is?". Howard turned to look at me and smiled. What a cool day that was!!
The fingerprint community lost a tremendous influence last week.
Now you have to remember that this was before the Internet and Chatboards and I was a young idiot trying to be cool and just starting out as a Latent Examiner. In Southern California Howard Speaks was like Dave Grieve, Pat Wertheim and Ron Smith rolled into one. Almost anyone who worked in the Los Angeles area in the 60s, 70s or 80s knew or was trained by Howard Speaks.....I remember that day my heart just stopped!!!!
I guess my identification passed the muster, but at trial Howard was there and the Defense wanted him to review a palm print that I happened to identify on the case subsequent to his first review. During the break, he was looking at the ID and I was standing near the table with the Prosecutor (funny how this type of thing probabaly doesn't happen much anymore). At one point the Defense Counsel asked me if I was "hovering" to try and intimidate his Defense Expert. I looked at him and replied, "If anyone around here was getting intimidated, it was me. Don't you know who this is?". Howard turned to look at me and smiled. What a cool day that was!!
The fingerprint community lost a tremendous influence last week.