Footprints as Evidence Lawyers

What is a Footprint?

What is a Footprint?

Why Would a Footprint be Used as Evidence?

Footprints are typically used by the prosecution to prove an individual committed a crime, or at least were present at the scene of a crime and could have committed it.  Footprints are not as unique as a fingerprint or DNA evidence, but under the right circumstances, they can be enough for a criminal conviction.  When the prosecution looks at a footprint as evidence of criminal activity, they are usually focused on the following:

• The walk or gait of the person who left the footprints,
• Sole or heel indents,
• Cuts or the tread of a shoe, and
• Other signs of wear associated with a shoe.

The prosecution will try to use any of these signs associated with a footprint as evidence in the criminal trial of someone they thought committed a crime.

When Can a Footprint be Used as Evidence?

Along with looking at the above signs associated with a footprint, the prosecution may have a hard time proving a person is guilty of crime based on their footprints alone.  That is because in order to use a footprint as evidence against someone for a crime, three things are needed.  They are:

1. A photography, plater mold, or print of the original and un-tainted footprint,
2. The actual shoe or mold of a foot that belongs to the defendant and the prosecution believes matches the one at the crime scene, and
3. An expert witness that can testify to the connection between the two beyond a reasonable doubt.

Do I Need an Attorney if a Footprint is Being Used as Evidence Against Me?