Research Shows Fingerprint Accuracy Stays the Same over Time
Though fingerprints are assumed to be infallible personal identifiers, there has been little scientific research to prove this claim to be true. As such, there have been repeated challenges to the admissibility of fingerprint evidence in courts of law.
"We wanted to answer the question that has plagued law enforcement and forensic science for decades: Is fingerprint pattern persistent over time?" said Anil Jain, University Distinguished Professor, computer science and engineering, at Michigan State University. "We have now determined, with multilevel statistical modeling, that fingerprint recognition accuracy remains stable over time."