‘LACS With a Documentary: The Real CSI – How Reliable is the Science Behind Forensics? (Video)

Learn About Cool Shit! Calling bullshit on the infallibility of fingerprint is a pretty big claim, but PBS’ stamp of authenticity alone is enough to believe that it’s probably legitimate. Wait till you hear the facts.


What does it take to become an expert witness in the field of forensic science?

ACFEI, the American College of Forensic Examiners International, has been ousted as the equivalent of a certification mill. For approximately $660, any schmuck/accountant/sperglord/pedophile/Pokemon can take the test.

Since it’s open-book, the failure rate is extremely low. Pay up and you’ll soon be qualified to testify in court, ultimately presenting an opinion which will heavily sway the jury. Send people to jail with unprecedented unfairness and ease.

Since there’s no official testing or process to determine who is or isn’t actually an expert, all you have to do is convince a judge that you’re truly qualified to testify on one of their cases. If they deny you, whatever. Who cares? Travel to the next court and apply there. There’s no system; if a judge wants to accept you, it’s that easy to gather the fate of someone else’s life in your grubby little hands.

If you testify incorrectly and send an innocent man to jail, you should be worried. Not because your certification is going to get revoked or anything (because it totally won’t), but because you’re an asshole who shouldn’t be pretending to be any kind of expert. If you disagree, however, you’re free to continue your career as an expert, gleefully sealing the fate of more innocent men along the way.

While many real forensics experts actually study their chosen field for years and acquire a real degree, the owner of ACFEI is almost cornered into admitting that his website is a certification mill for dummies only. ‘Certification is probably not the best/right word to use’, he states.

Forensic Odontology is more faulty than we even know about, and fingerprints are beginning to look that way as well. After ten (real) experts (fingerprint analysts) incorrectly matched the same set of fingerprints, scientists are now discussing the lack of scientific method and experimentation to back up the idea that fingerprinting is infallible, and that no two fingerprints are alike.

Testing reveals that most fingerprint analysts change their opinion on the same set of fingerprints simply by changing the description of a crime. 5 analysts were given the same set of fingerprints under a crime described as A. They decided whether or not there was a match. They were later given the exact same set of fingerprints, but this time under a crime described as B. 4 out of 5 opinions on whether or not they matched were now different.

There’s also some stuff about the Smell Scientists involved in the Casey Anthony trial, but she definitely killed her baby.

Watch the whole thing here:

Watch The Real CSI on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.