The quick answer is that lawyers are not supposed to lie, but they canât necessarily prevent their clients from lying. Iâll get to the details in a minute â honestly--but first Iâm happy to tell you that the podcast version of this article is brought to you by Go To Meeting.
Fingerprints on paper, cardboard and unfinished wood can last for up to forty years (per actual casework histories) unless exposed to water (and contaminate transfer prints can even then sometimes persist).
Joe and Craig, How long a fingerprint will last on any given surface depends on several factors. First, the Matrix of the print, or the contaminant or substance that was deposited from the finger plays a role. Most latent prints are composed of sweat or a sweat-oil mix from the glands of the body.