Summary: Fingerprints Expert Witness testimony is allowed as the court ruled that the expert reliably applied the fingerprinting methods.
Facts: This case (United States of America v. Lester Aceituno – United States District Court – District of New Hampshire – October 25, 2023) involves an indictment alleging a conspiracy to deposit and withdraw funds from checks and money orders that were fraudulently obtained. The government claims that a fingerprint found on a post office box application which was written in the name of one of the victims in this case. In order to prove their case, the government hired Fingerprints Expert Witness Patricia Cornell to provide expert witness testimony. Cornell analyzed the latent fingerprint and identified it as a match to the defendant. Mr. Aceituno filed a motion to exclude this expert’s testimony.