# Evil twins trying to get out of a DUI. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025 "2009-12-12T21:07:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/21 "2009-12-14T05:07:50Z")
Drunk dudes aren’t so good at strategy or not shooting their mouths off. ---
**Author:** ![Caiata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Caiata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caiata)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/22 "2009-12-14T08:45:50Z")
> [@Mr. Slant](#): > > If your twin’s fingerprint got burnt off while he was baking bagels, would it grow back matching yours, or would that be yet a third fingerprint? The shape of the fingerprint is set in the ‘volar pads’ or the deep flesh of the finger, which are the parts of the fetus that are susceptible to the environmental stressors of the womb at the time that fingerprints are developed. And your fingerprint pattern is set once those volar pads finish development (I think this is occurring around 12-16 weeks in gestation). So, unless you burn your finger really, really, _really_, _ **really** _ badly, you’re going to find your original fingerprint will grow back (although scarring can cause your fingerprint pattern to change somewhat as the original ridges attempt to reform around the scar tissue). Sufficient "really"s will cause the fingerprint not to grow back at all in the “really” affected areas, but I don’t think many people are that motivated 🙂 Burning your finger won’t cause the underlying flesh to somehow assume the configuration your twin’s volar pads assumed under your twin’s localised stressor effects in the womb, so even if your fingerprints do grow back slightly differently because now you have a huge burn scar on your thumb, they will still resemble your original fingerprint and not your twin’s. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/23 "2009-12-14T12:35:19Z")
[Chinese woman has finger pads](http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/chinese-woman-altered-her-fingerprints-to-enter-japan-media-20091207-kfi6.html) from left hand grafted on right hand. [Altered fingerprints detected](http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/altered-fingerprints-detected-in-illegal-immigration-attempts) in illegal immigration attempts. The Chinese are apparently doing quit a bit of fingerprint reassignment surgery to beat security at borders. The part that trips them up at this point is the scarring causing visual examination by people. How many don’t have the scarring and make it through? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/24 "2009-12-14T12:53:09Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Finger prints. Forensics on the seat for pants fibers. Review the video which can be stepped through. If the dash-cam video is inconclusive, what then? Given the limited resources available in a police department, how far would they go to gather evidence toward prosecuting a DUI? Would they in fact call in CSI’s to gather prints and fibers? Or does the expense of such careful evidence-gathering justify their use only in felonies (like murder)? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/25 "2009-12-14T13:15:45Z")
I doubt they can use it to get out of a DUI, but apparently it’s possible for twins to get out of parking tickets in [Sweden](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3285997.html?menu=). ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/26 "2009-12-14T13:19:26Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > If the dash-cam video is inconclusive, what then? Given the limited resources available in a police department, how far would they go to gather evidence toward prosecuting a DUI? Would they in fact call in CSI’s to gather prints and fibers? Or does the expense of such careful evidence-gathering justify their use only in felonies (like murder)? You seem to think I said this would ever happen. I just gave examples of things that may prove who was driving. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/27 "2009-12-14T15:09:47Z")
Since one of the twins must be guilty, then with no other evidence, the officer simply picks one and charges him with a DUI claiming he that’s what he saw. The only way the twins can prove that the officer didn’t see what happened, is if they present contradicting evidence that demonstrates the officer is wrong. At which point the officer says he/she must have made a mistake and charges the proper twin. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/28 "2009-12-14T15:18:28Z")
Pfft. Charge both of them with Hindering Apprehension, and a class B misdemeanor becomes a class A. Better yet, if the shirts are somehow identifying, charge them with Tampering with Physical Evidence, and now they each get a third degree felony. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/29 "2009-12-14T15:27:40Z")
Who own the car? Charge him. Either he was DUI, or he knowingly allowed his drunken twin to DUI… ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/30 "2009-12-14T16:05:12Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > Since one of the twins must be guilty, then with no other evidence, the officer simply picks one and charges him with a DUI claiming he that’s what he saw. The only way the twins can prove that the officer didn’t see what happened, is if they present contradicting evidence that demonstrates the officer is wrong. At which point the officer says he/she must have made a mistake and charges the proper twin. Yeah, that’s what I figure too. Sure, the cops possibly can’t prove which one of them was driving at the time, but one of them was. If both are drunk, then the only unanswered question is which one takes the fall. And if one of them wasn’t drunk… why not let him drive in the first place :dubious: ? ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/31 "2009-12-14T16:38:11Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Based on that discussion, both brothers and their parents would be gut-shot and left to die by the side of the road. > > In real life, probable cause exists to arrest them both. As others have suggested, there might be some evidence, such as a dashcam, which would definitively finger one. If there was no further evidence, and the brothers collaborated such that they each accuse the other of driving, could reasonable doubt prevent the conviction of either of the brothers? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025/32 "2009-12-14T17:03:01Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > If there was no further evidence, and the brothers collaborated such that they each accuse the other of driving, could reasonable doubt prevent the conviction of either of the brothers? Theoretically, yes. Practically, no. Because any pair who thinks rolling the dice like this is a good idea won’t be smart enough to avoid getting tripped up by separate questioning by seasoned investigators, who are after all permitted to lie to the suspects and CLAIM that the dash cam video is conclusive, and that the other brother heard this and confessed that he was the driver. Etc. But it is within the realm of possibility that a jury, hearing this story, could find reasonable doubt existed as to each brother’s guilt of DUI. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-twins-trying-to-get-out-of-a-dui/521025.md?page=1)