Following a 1999 robbery case fingerprint evidence has been under fire since the method was described as not having a definitive error rate. But science must deal with uncertainty - or it isn't science at all - so the FBI has had to do some research.

Only a summary has been published but several scientists says it "contains blatant methodological errors" and points at observations omitted as errors actually falsifies the premise FBI tried to prove. Fingerprints are rarely doubted at all.

The National Institute of Justice has previously asked for proposals to validate evidence but has since dismissed all proposals and added "[research on] existing forensic technologies ... will not be funded" to the text.

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