AFTE Position Documents
The Association of Firearm & Tool Mark Examiners response to Abruquah v. State of Maryland Decision:
On June 23, 2023, the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) Board of Directors released an official comment. This is a follow-up statement based on our review of the published decision. For reasons previously stated and information provided below, we disagree with the majority’s opinion in this case. We respectfully note the Court has overlooked foundational aspects of the firearm and toolmark examination…
The AFTE Board of Directors has received numerous requests for a public statement regarding the recent ruling in Abruquah v. the State of Maryland. The following statement has been prepared and distributed to the requestors:
The Association of Firearm & Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) is currently in the process of reviewing the Supreme Court of Maryland case Abruquah v. State of Maryland. Instances where testimony related to the science of Firearm & Tool Mark Identification is limited or where the court’s opinion is that testimony should have been limited…
AFTE Response to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report titled “Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods.” – October 31, 2016:
As the leading professional organization for practitioners of forensic firearm identification, the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) acknowledges the challenge faced by the PCAST to understand the scientific field of comparative sciences from their stated brief review of the literature. AFTE strongly agrees with the premise that…
AFTE Response to Seven Questions Related to Forensic Science Posed on November 30, 2015 by The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) – December 23, 2015:
Q1 Part 1: What studies have been published in the past 5 years that support the foundational aspects of each of the pattern-based forensic science methods, including (but not limited to) latent print analysis; firearms/toolmarks; shoe/tire prints; bitemark analysis…
Comments on NCFS Views Document: “Scientific Literature in Support of Forensic Science and Practice.” – November 19, 2014:
The National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) posted six (6) draft views documents for public review and comment on the Commission’s website in October of 2014. These documents offered proposed policies and positions regarding various aspects of forensic science and practice. One of these…
SWGGUN and AFTE Committee for the Advancement of the Science of Firearm and Toolmark Identification’s Response to 25 Foundational Firearm and Toolmark Examination Questions Received from the Subcommittee on Forensic Science (SoFS), Research, Development, Testing, & Evaluation Interagency Working Group (RDT&E IWG) on April 18, 2011. – June 14, 2011:
On June 14, 2011, AFTE submitted a 94 page response to 25 foundational questions on firearm and toolmark examination submitted by the Subcommittee on Forensic Science (SoFS), Research, Development, Testing, & Evaluation Interagency Working Group (RDT&E IWG). This response…
AFTE Response to the NACDL Task Force on the Future of Forensic Science – February 2010:
The purpose of this response, was to comment on the seven areas addressed in the “Preliminary Position Statements and Recommendations as necessary for the Forensic Science System to produce Accurate and Reliable Science, and hence Fair and Accurate Verdicts, in our…
The Response of the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners to the February 2009 National Academy of Science Report “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United State: A Path Forward.” – June 22, 2009:
The National Academy of Science Report, “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward” made 13 general recommendations regarding Forensic Science. Six of these recommendations directly relate to AFTE. Activities conducted by…
The Response of the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners to the National Academy of Sciences 2008 Report Assessing the Feasibility, Accuracy, and Technical Capability of a National Ballistics Database – August 20, 2008:
This response was written mainly to comment on three conclusions made in a March 2008 report issued by a National Academy of Sciences Committee whose main function was to study ballistics imaging technology. These conclusions addressed: 1) whether or not the validity of the fundamental…