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Are You At Risk?

Always wear gloves everywhere — really.

What is YOUR risk of your fingerprint being used to convict you of a felony you did not commit? Answer these 5 questions to find out how easily this can happen.

  1. When you go about your daily life, to work, shopping, visiting friends, going places with family, and more, do you wear gloves at all times when picking up items?
    1. Yes. Good. You are probably at a very low risk.
    2. No. If you pick up any item with bare hands you take the risk of leaving your fingerprint on it which puts you at risk of being convicted of a felony.
  2. When you pick up a stapler at work, a vase in a department store, a liquor bottle at a friend's house, or any other moveable item do you keep track of the future destinations of that item? Could you go back 10 years, for instance, and recall all items you touched and where they are now? Could you recall this information for the police if questioned?
    1. Yes. Wow you have a fantastic memory and this may help you be at low risk.
    2. No. Like most of us this will make it hard to give the police information if questioned for a crime. You are definitely at risk.
  3. So the police have found your fingerprint on an object you don't remember ever touching in a location you have never been. But a crime was committed there months ago and they are now talking to you. You have no idea how your fingerprint got there but you have plenty of friends and family who can recall and testify to where you were during the time frame of the crime. You are arrested for the crime. Do you have a $10,000 retainer and $300 an hour for a good criminal attorney and investigators?
    1. Yes. Great. This may help clear your name.
    2. No. Public defender for you.
  4. Do you have great criminal legal and investigative skills and can put together a solid case for yourself? I mean, you have all those witnesses — right?
    1. Yes. If you really do have those skills and can hand a solid defendable case to your attorney you might stay out of jail — if you can find out and prove how your fingerprint got there.
    2. No. Your public defender attorney and investigators will have to handle your case as they see fit.
  5. Your appointed attorney and investigator have all the documents, witnesses, and memories you can find. Do you believe they will answer all your calls and spend time working out your defense and investigate other leads of perpetrators that the police refused to follow? Do you believe they will do their upmost to defend you? Do you believe all the documents and information you have given them will end up in your case file and be part of your case? Will they understand everything as it really happened so they can tell your correct story in court and get a not guilty verdict?
    1. Yes. Dream on. Your attorney may really have your best interests at heart. But they simply do not have time to return your phone calls or investigate thoroughly. There are simply not enough hours in the day to handle the cases they have or to really listen to what you have to say. You are at a very high risk of conviction.
    2. No. The results are the same as above. You just won't be surprised if you become a convicted felon.

These questions were written by myself, Elaine Smith, mother of Audrey Cannon, who was wrongly convicted of a burglary on May 6, 2016. They are based on the facts of the investigation as I understand them. Audrey cooperated with the police every step of the way. She gave them the names of about 20 friends and family who could attest to her location on the five days in question. Supporting documents were given to the investigator. There were two other suspicious people who could have committed the crime. None of this was followed up by the police. The attorney was simply too busy with other cases to really listen to and prepare a correct defense. Many things were left out or not correctly stated - including facts about how the fingerprint got there. He had no conviction in presenting the case. He was very timid in speech like a person does when they have not prepared what they will say. We learned that witnesses who are friends and family are simply not believed - even though we know for a fact that Audrey did not commit this crime. It is automatically assumed they will lie for their loved one. We did not lie on the stand. We simply were not believed.

There are even more unbelievable facts about this case that I am not willing to share until we understand more about our legal defense options to clear Audrey of this felony.

But the moral is clear. Always wear gloves. Everywhere. Your fingerprint on an item that is moved can get you convicted years later.