Cross Examination: Firearm/Toolmarks...

Dylan Ford &

Erin Morris, Ph.D.

Los A ngeles County Public Def end er’s Of f ic e

Cross Examination:Firearms/Toolmarks Examiner

September 18, 2011

This project was supported by Award No. 2010-DN-BX-K259 awarded by the

National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of

Justice.

Case Background

Charges:

Murder

Attempted Murder

Possession of Firearm by a Felon

Relevant Firearm/Toolmarks Facts:

No firearm recovered

One bullet and two fired cartridge cases recovered from the scene of the homicide

One bullet recovered by the coroner

One unfired cartridge allegedly found in client’s hotel room

The Prosecution Expert

“Product Overview ”

“Perfect for Crime Scene Investigation

and Forensic Science!”

http://www.forensiccomparisonmicroscope.com/images/productsnew/0068-f.jpg

The Prosecution Expert

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i.cdn.turner.com/trutv/trutv.com/graphics/photos/criminal_mind/forensics/ballistics/3b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/ballistics/3.html&usg=__UoqqT4BanziV4IAvRcL9xC1CDHc=&h=143&w=200&sz=18&hl=en&start=40&sig2=DPz410EGuEMVbb46V3iFhg&zoom=1&tbnid=yY6sgsKjuDAenM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=104&ei=jrNWTo4ToeWIAq-s3acJ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcomparison%2Bmicroscope%26start%3D21%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://outzonebbs.net/gunlab/images/csec_thumb_02.jpg&imgrefurl=http://outzonebbs.net/gunlab/srv_fbcc.shtml&usg=__A-DM9GeqDw1FJvj5pk158Myb7Cs=&h=401&w=300&sz=55&hl=en&start=16&sig2=KIKCBUW1wTcIDdMTW1yGug&zoom=1&tbnid=f61YMAHeKGAPIM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=93&ei=OcNWTqOxHqPKiAKzxPSxCQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbullet%2Bcomparison%2Bmicroscope%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1

Direct Examination

Qualifications

B.Sc. Forensic Chemistry, M.Sc. Criminalistics (Cal State LA)

30 years in criminalistics

Member of AAFS, CAC, AFTE

Forensics instructor for US gov’t, LA Sheriff, local colleges

Over 10,ooo analyses on firearms and firearm-related material

Competitive shootist

Firearm mechanics, comparison fundamentals

Cycling marks

General Rifling Characteristics

Individual characteristics

Direct Examination

Quality Assurance

Peer review, Lab accreditation

Evidence Analysis, Conclusions

2 fired 9mm cartridge cases BOTH CARTRIDGE CASES HAD SUFFICIENT AGREEMENT IN THE UNIQUE

CHARACTERISTICS ON THE BREECH FACE AND THE FIRING PIN IMPRESSION WHERE I CONCLUDED THAT THEY WERE FIRED IN THE SAME FIREARM.

9mm live Luger cartridge THIS PARTICULAR CARTRIDGE …WAS CYCLED THROUGH THE SAME FIREARM THAT

FIRED THE TWO CARTRIDGE CASES

Coroner’s bullet

…THE CORONER'S BULLET HAD THE SAME FEEDING MARKS AS THE [LIVE]

CARTRIDGE. …IT WAS WORKED THROUGH THE ACTION OF THE SAME FIREARM THAT FIRED THE CORONER'S BULLET.

Cross Examination

Three Basic Themes:

A Layperson’s Critique

Using the expert’s photographic documentation simply to point out differences in the compared items that are obvious to the naked eye

Problems Identified by Other Practitioners

Using articles by other firearms and toolmarks analysts who admit there are challenges to accurate identifications

The NRC Report Findings

Using questions with the simple goal of having expert confirm the NRC’s critique of the current status of the FATM art form

Cross Examination: A Lay Critique

Cross Examination: Insiders’ Critique

Cross Examination: The NRC Findings

Cross Examination: Missed Opportunities

Probing accreditation and audits

Forcing an explanation of markings that do not match

Comparing the testifying expert’s credentials against published AFTE practitioners who raise legitimate critiques of the discipline

Effective elucidation of the NRC project and participants

Cross Examination: Firearm/Toolmarks...

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