NCJ Number
232071
Date Published
2010
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This document from the National District Attorneys Association provides information to prosecutors on the specialty of firearm and toolmark identification in the forensic science laboratory.
Abstract
This monograph, produced with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, is intended for use by prosecutors to familiarize them with the principal elements of the forensic specialty of firearm and toolmark identification. As a result of modern electronic media, the field of forensic sciences has become an area where juries and the general public believe themselves to well-versed in the capabilities of the forensic science disciplines and thus have certain expectations regarding evidence presented at trial. To deal with these expectations, prosecutors and other law enforcement officials need to be aware of the capabilities and limitations of forensic science. This monograph is divided into four sections that present an introductory discussion on the specialty of toolmark identification when the tool involved is a firearm; an overview of the science of firearm identification; a discussion on how firearm toolmarks are produced on a fired cartridge; and a discussion on the examination process used in firearm and toolmark identification and how to present the findings for trial. Photos, appendix, and glossary