Does anyone have a recommendation on an expert to analyze and compare glass fragments?

I have a case where the shooter fired at close range into the driver's side window, killing the driver. In the suspect vehicle, the police found two glass fragments.

My investigator is talking to the DPS lab in Garland, but any other recommendations would be appreciated.

If it helps at all, I think I saw them do such a comparison on the TV show CSI. It was pretty cool and very convincing. And when the crime lab people invited the defendant over and explained it to him, he confessed right away. Be sure to ask DPS to send their lab guys to get a confession, too.

CSI has to be the greatest show on TV - so realistic! I especially arppreciate it when jurors in our county of 10,000 wonder why we don't hire an expert (for $25,000.00 or so) to reconstruct the broken window of the convenience store that was burglarized - even though we catch the defendant within 10 minutes, and there's a security video from the store!

And, apparently, lab people get a clothing and hair allowance. They look so good and have such neat little kits to carry around.

Our office recently used a trace evidence supervisor from SWIFFS to analyze very small glass fragments recovered from a deceased and compare them to shards collected from elsewhere in the residence. He did well, judging from the record. I was not involved in the trial, but if you're interested, I'll talk to the trial attorney and investigator who worked with him. (972) 548-4729.

What is SWIFFS?

Hey, you might be able to get the CSI team here pretty cheaply..you know that George Eads on the show is the son ofn former Bell County DA Cappy Eads...a couple phone calls and I bet the real CSI team could be in your town testifying on a case....

SWIFS (the proper acronym) is the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences. I believe it is a private lab operated in the Dallas area. I've heard mixed reviews of the facility.

John, please let us know if DPS can do this sort of thing.

SWIFS is a Dallas County agency, but not "law enforcement personnel." See Tex. R. Evid. 803(8)B). They will do work for the defense and prosecution.

As an aside, a list of the forensic services offered by DPS and the various county crime labs might be a useful addition to this site.

I used the FBI in DC several years ago to compare glass fragments found at a murder scene to the glass window from a car... The comparison wasn't exact but the FBI lab person (can't remember their name or the name of the defendant unfortunately) made a very strong case for consistency and their trial testimony was excellent and very impressive to the jury. I would highly recommend contacting the FBI lab in DC.....