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FBI examines fingerprint identifications

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- The FBI is checking the cases of death row prisoners in the United States to determine if its fingerprint examiners made mistakes, a report said.

The FBI began the reviews 18 months ago as a result of the misidentification of a fingerprint found near the Madrid terrorist bombings that led to the detention of Portland, Ore., lawyer and Muslim convert Brandon Mayfield, USA Today reported.

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No FBI error has been found in death penalty cases examined so far, the FBI's Joseph DiZinno said.

"There is no doubt in our minds about the scientific basis or validity of fingerprint identification," DiZinno told the newspaper. "We wanted to ensure we didn't make a mistake."

There are more than 3,000 death row inmates in the United States, the Death Penalty Information Center said. It was not known how many convictions rested on fingerprint evidence.

Earlier this month, FBI chief scientist Bruce Budowle called for more scientific validation to improve fingerprint techniques in the bureau's online journal, Forensic Science Communications.

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