The Myth Of Fingerprints

The Myth Of Fingerprints

A 22-year veteran kindergarten teacher in the Texas Bible Belt could lose her job for refusing, on religious grounds, to give fingerprints under a state law requiring them.

The evangelical Christian, Pam McLaurin, is fighting a looming suspension, claiming that fingerprinting amounts to the "Mark of the Beast," and hence is a violation of her First Amendment right to practice her religion....

The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the First Amendment is implicated in fingerprinting, especially at a time when states, local governments and civic organizations are increasingly making them mandatory for anyone wanting to drive a car or coach a youth basketball team....Texas lawmakers approved the fingerprinting measure in 2007 in a bid, [McLaurin's attorney Scott] Skelton said, "to catch somebody with a criminal background or a history of preying on children."

"She's willing to undergo a background check," Skelton said, "just not fingerprinting."

The myth of fingerprints is their accuracy and what they really tell us about crimes: the so-called CSI effect.

Originally posted by BlankSlate
The myth of fingerprints is their accuracy and what they really tell us about crimes: the so-called CSI effect.

Actually, there is legitimate debate about fingerprint accuracy and how "experts" make serious mistakes. Here's an example.