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Do any DA's Offices use their own investigators as fingerprint experts, for pen packs, prior judgments, etc, in trial?
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Nacogdoches, Texas, USA | Registered: June 19, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Collin County does for priors and such. In Dallas Co., the Sheriff had two deputies who were qualified to do that. That separation is a good thing, in my opinion. But, having those guys in your office can help you catch priors with problem prints earlier in the process.
 
Posts: 2138 | Location: McKinney, Texas, USA | Registered: February 15, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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We use an investigator in our office and a detective from the SO. Our investigator takes a look at it and lets us know if we can make the match and takes care of cases where there is truly a question of identity, and then we have the detective available if there's a question about the separation of duties issue.
 
Posts: 394 | Location: Waco, Tx | Registered: July 24, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Our office has used our own investigators to prove up pen packets, etc. through fingerprints since 1984.
 
Posts: 751 | Location: Huntsville, Tx | Registered: January 31, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have an investigator certified to do prints. I use him as a backup in the event the SO witness is not available. Pen packs are pretty simple matters if the packet has a photo of the defendant along with the prints. I don't think using an investigator as a witness in this manner is subject to a built-in bias argument any more than an investigator for my office testifying on any other issue such as taking a confession, etc.
 
Posts: 14 | Location: Decatur, Texas, USA | Registered: January 04, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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