State v. Commissioner
Court of Appeals of Utah
273 P.3d 417 (2012)
- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
The State of Utah (plaintiff) charged Robert Michael Sheehan (defendant) with aggravated assault and burglary. Only fingerprint evidence linked Sheehan to the crime scene. Sheehan sought to introduce expert testimony challenging the accuracy of fingerprint technology. The trial judge barred Sheehan's expert from testifying, on the grounds that Utah case law considered fingerprint evidence sufficiently reliable to meet Utah Rule of Evidence 702's threshold test for the admissibility of evidence. The jury found Sheehan guilty and he appealed his convictions to the Court of Appeals of Utah.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Christansen, J.)
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