Fingerprints

Fingerprint identification, or palmprint identification is the process of comparing questioned and known friction skin ridge impressions from fingers or palms to determine if the impressions are from the same finger or palm. The flexibility of friction ridge skin means that no two finger or palm prints are ever exactly alike (never identical in every detail), even two impressions recorded immediately after each other. Fingerprint identification occurs when an expert determines that two friction ridge impressions originated from the same finger or palm. This is useful as a fingerprint may have been taken from a weapon and they could match it up to a fingerprint from a suspect.