Hearing voices

Forensic speaker identification technology and expert listening in the American courtroom

Bibliographic Data

ID4012633
AuthorsMichael Mopas (Carleton University, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume9
Issue2
Pages209-232
Publication date2023-07-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSound Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2055-1940 • E-ISSN: 2055-1959
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/20551940.2023.2232186
OpenAlexW4383909669
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited31

Police wiretaps and taped emergency dispatch calls are just a couple of examples of the kinds of voice recordings that have made their way into criminal and civil proceedings. In some instances, an expert witness may be called upon to identify the person whose voice was captured on tape or digitally recorded. However, this type of forensic analysis – commonly referred to as “speaker identification” – has not been universally accepted by the courts. In this article, I look at several US cases where the efficacy of forensic speaker identification has been brought into question. Using concepts from Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Sociolegal Studies, I examine the attempts made by experts to have their methods of voice identification accepted at trial as valid and reliable techniques, and the decisions made by judges to either admit or exclude this evidence. I demonstrate that the various rulings regarding the admissibility of speaker identification evidence reflect the interplay between law and science and is the direct result of the “boundary-work” undertaken by experts and how judges assess these activities. I argue that forensic speaker identification evidence must be understood and conceptualised as “law-science hybrids” that are co-produced over the course of a trial

Active listening · Expert witness · Eyewitness identification · Political science · Speaker identification · Speaker recognition · Speech recognition · Witness · Communication · Computer Science · Judicial and Constitutional Studies · Jury Decision Making Processes · Law · Law in Society and Culture · Psychology

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