AFTE Store - Firearm/Toolmark Identification: Passing the Reliability Test Under Federal and State Evidentiary Standards

Regardless of the jurisdiction in which a firearm and toolmark examiner practices, it is essential that the work product is scientifically reliable and valid. In pursuit of obtaining more reliable expert witness testimony, state and federal courts have adopted certain evidentiary standards with which all forensic disciplines must comply. Thisarticle is designed to assist examiners explain the reliability of firearm and toolmark identifications.