FBI's handling of fingerprint case criticized

[icymist]

Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - Page updated at 01:37 A.M.

FBI's handling of fingerprint case criticized

David Heath
Seattle Times staff reporter

One of the FBI examiners who mistakenly linked Portland lawyer Brandon Mayfield to the Madrid train bombings has made erroneous fingerprint identifications twice in the past, documents show.
And the FBI's explanation for the Mayfield bungle — that agents relied on a "substandard" photograph of the Madrid fingerprint — is being contradicted by an international fingerprint expert hired by federal public defenders representing Mayfield.

The clarity of a photo of the Madrid print, lifted from a plastic bag of detonators found in a stolen van near a train station after the bombings, is good and no competent examiner should have called it a match, said Allan Bayle, who worked for Scotland Yard for 25 years.

The most basic features of the print — known as cores and deltas — did not match Mayfield's, said Bayle, who recently studied the images. He said he can't understand how the FBI claimed to have found more than 15 unique points common to each print.

More at this

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. and people wonder about polygraphs

and also why the death penalty is a bad idea.

[rock]

2. Stop wondering about polygraphs

They don't work. Well, no better than a shiny penny.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. no illusions here. nt

[struggle4progress]

3. Aw, they're just practicing for future arrests!

[nodictators]

4. Looks like a set-up to me

Let's see, Mayfield is an Islamic guy, and was a lawyer for an accused Islamic guy (who was convicted, as I seem to recall).

The FBI lab work has been sharply citicized in the past. Supposedly, the major problems were corrected. Now, it seems the bad old days have returned.

From the linked article:

The clarity of a photo of the Madrid print, lifted from a plastic bag of detonators found in a stolen van near a train station after the bombings, is good and no competent examiner should have called it a match, said Allan Bayle, who worked for Scotland Yard for 25 years.

The most basic features of the print — known as cores and deltas — did not match Mayfield's, said Bayle, who recently studied the images. He said he can't understand how the FBI claimed to have found more than 15 unique points common to each print.

"It's flawed on all levels," said Bayle in a rare public disagreement among fingerprint experts. He called the FBI's original analysis "horrendous."

So they use the "material-witness" laws and maybe the Patriot Act to throw, as innocent person, into jail. He could have been held indefinetely under the laws.

[legin]

6. yeah absolutely

Mayfield's lawyer also was prosecuting the u.s. on behalf of a guy who was claiming he was tortured in Iraq (this was before the pictures).

Mayfield's lawyer is also part of a left-wing organisation of lawyers that I found on the Internet.

This one stinks to high heaven.

[legin]

8. Mayfield's lawyer also from Portland

so they know each other, they may even work together.

My guess was this arrest was to scare them off working on the torture trial.

[Cocoa]

7. Peggy Noonan is cool with Mayfield's arrest

says he should be grateful to be alive, unlike the victims of terrorism.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/

[Just Me]

9. He was another "advertisement" for the neocon regime.

Sorry, dude. You were a good "marketing tool" for the neocon "war on terror". You were "targeted" by Rummie's manipulation of information campaign.

[Just Me]

10. The F'uped FBI is USING Padilla, right now, on CNN, to perpetuate

the perpetual war on terrorism.

Makes me sick!!!!