Opinion ID: 797078
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Expert Testimony of Fingerprint Technician

Text: 22 Glover next challenges the district court's admission of Michalik's testimony as unreliable, irrelevant, and unfairly prejudicial. We review whether the district court correctly followed the procedures required by Federal Rule of Evidence 702 de novo, but once we determine those procedures were followed, we review decisions to admit or exclude expert testimony for abuse of discretion only. See Parra, 402 F.3d at 758. 1 23 Before permitting Michalik to testify in front of the jury, the district court conducted voir dire to determine whether her testimony should be admitted. After hearing arguments from both sides, the district court considered Michalik's qualifications and determined that her testimony would assist the jury. Accordingly, the district court fulfilled its gatekeeping function under Federal Rule of Evidence 702. 24 Because the district court followed the procedures outlined in Federal Rule of Evidence 702, we consider only whether the court abused its discretion in admitting Michalik's testimony. Expert testimony is admissible if it is both relevant and reliable. Fed.R.Evid. 702. Expert testimony is reliable only if offered by a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, and (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case. Id. Michalik was an eighteen year veteran of the Chicago Police Department who had been an evidence technician since 1997. Before becoming an evidence technician, she completed additional training in crime scene processing. Moreover, this Court has long accepted the scientific validity of fingerprint testing in general. See United States v. Havvard, 260 F.3d 597, 600-01 (7th Cir.2001). Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding that Michalik was a reliable expert. 25 Glover next contends that Michalik's testimony that fingerprints are rarely recovered from firearms is not relevant. The strongest support for Glover's position, although he does not cite the case, is United States v. Paladino, in which a police officer, testifying as an expert, noted that it was common to be unable to find usable fingerprints `at a crime scene or on an object.' 401 F.3d 471, 477-78 (7th Cir.2005). The issue in Paladino was whether the trial judge's comment on that testimony improperly signaled to the jury that the defendant was guilty. Id. In addressing the question, the Court commented: 26 What this line of inquiry had to do with [the defendant's] guilt is obscure. That there was no fingerprint evidence meant simply that there was no fingerprint evidence. Had [the defendant's] fingerprints been found on the gun, this would have helped the government and if someone else's fingerprints had been found on the gun, this would have helped [the defendant]. . . . Since no fingerprints were found, neither side was helped; and we can't see what difference it makes whether failure to find fingerprints on a gun is common or uncommon. In fact it is extremely common: `successful development of latent prints on firearms is difficult to achieve. In reality, very few identifiable latent prints are found on firearms, a fact that has been discussed in both literature and the judicial system.' Clive A. Barnum & Darrell R. Klasey, 'Factors Affecting the Recovery of Latent Prints on Firearms,' Prosecutor, Jan./Feb.1998, p. 32. 27 Id. at 478. This dicta could be read to suggest that testimony like Michalik's has limited probative value. In this case, however, the testimony helped rebut Glover's argument that the lack of fingerprints indicated innocence. It assisted the jury in understanding that, despite what they might see on popular television crime shows, certain objects are not particularly conducive to finding prints. Glover did not have an opportunity to wipe his prints from the gun, nor was there evidence that he wore gloves. Without Michalik's testimony, the jury may not have understood how Glover could have possessed the weapon without leaving prints. 28 Glover contends that even if Michalik's testimony was relevant, it was unfairly prejudicial and the trial court should have excluded it under Federal Rule of Evidence 403. Specifically, Glover asserts that Michalik's testimony added undeserved credibility to her unsuccessful and perhaps even incompetent efforts to recover prints. 2 In addition, he posits that Michalik's testimony that sweat, weather, and the handling of the gun could have impacted whether prints were recoverable requires no expertise. See Fed.R.Evid. 702, Advisory Committee Notes (There is no more certain test for determining when experts may be used than the common sense inquiry whether the untrained layman would be qualified to determine . . . the particular issue without enlightenment from those having a specialized understanding of the subject . . . .). We disagree, however, for the same reason that we find the testimony relevant—the average layperson might expect a gun to bear fingerprints if it was handled without gloves. Moreover, the jury was aware of the limits of Michalik's testimony because Glover's cross-examination highlighted that she did not know the conditions under which the weapon was recovered. 29 Glover concludes that dressing up Michalik's testimony as expertise unfairly elevated its importance, thus prejudicing him. We reject this argument as well. Once again, the factors from Doe support the trial court's admission of the testimony. Though Michalik's dual role as evidence technician on Glover's case and expert on the success of latent fingerprint recovery from firearms heightened the risk of prejudice, the district court provided the jury with cautionary instructions, and Glover's counsel cross-examined Michalik extensively.