This “hands-on”, three day workshop
is designed to enhance the testimony skills of all levels of latent print and ten print examiners. The
workshop starts with defining the role of the expert witness, qualifying as an expert, direct and cross
examination questions involving friction ridge evidence, and concludes with an in-depth analysis of
current legal challenges and how to effectively respond to them.
Course Learning Objectives:
The student will have:
1. A thorough understanding of the role of the expert
witness.
2. An overview of criminal procedures and courtroom tactics.
3. An enhanced ability to present fingerprint evidence in an effective and convincing manner.
4. Current information on the legal challenges facing friction ridge evidence.
The Instructor: William (Bill) Leo, M.S.Bill served as the lead instructor and training coordinator for
the Latent Print Section of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Crime Lab for the last eight years of his career, retiring
at the end of 2011. Bill has over 35 years of experience as a latent print examiner and has been providing expert witness
training and seminars for the past 25 years. Bill testified at the second Federal Daubert Hearing on fingerprint evidence
in 1999, during a civil rights lawsuit and has consulted with U. S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the United States
on other challenges. Bill has successfully provided rebuttal testimony, defending the reliability and scientific foundation
of friction skin evidence against Dr. Simon Cole in Los Angeles Superior Courts and Law Professor James Starrs in Orange
County California Superior Court during jury trials.
Bill has testified as an expert witness in
State and Federal Courts over 500 times.
If your agency or organization is interested in hosting one of these 3 day workshops, please contact Bill
at:
Bill@FingerprintIdentification.net
