Document and Handwriting Analysis

1. Document and HandwritingAnalysis “The handwriting on the wall may be a forgery” —Ralph Hodgson, British poet

2. Questioned Documents • Involves the examination of handwriting, ink, paper, etc. to ascertain source or authenticity • Examples include letters, checks, licenses, contracts, wills, passports • Investigations include: verification, authentication, characterizing papers, pigments, and inks Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

3. Related Fields • Historical Dating—the verification of age and value of a document or object • Fraud Investigation—focuses on the money trail and criminal intent • Paper and Ink Specialists—date, type, source, and/or catalogue various types of paper, watermarks, ink, printing/copy/fax machines, computer cartridges • Forgery Specialists—analyze altered, obliterated, changed, or doctored documents and photos • Typewriting Analysts—determine origin, make, and models • Computer Crime Investigators—investigate cybercrime Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

4. History of Forensic Handwriting Analysis 1930s—handwriting analysis played a role in the famous Lindbergh case. 1999—the US Court of Appeals determined that handwriting analysis qualifies as a form of expert testimony To be admissible in court, scientifically accepted guidelines must be followed Scotland Yard, the FBI, and the Secret Service use handwriting analysis 3 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

5. Forensic Document Examination involves the analysis and comparison of questioned documents with known material in order to identify whenever possible, the author or origin of the questioned document. Document Examination Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

6. Handwriting sample legality • Doesn’t violate the 5th amendment • Right not to self-incriminate • Doesn’t violate the 4th amendment • Protections against unreasonable search and seizure Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

7. Handwriting Handwriting analysis involves two phases: • The hardware—ink, paper, pens, pencils, typewriter, printers • Visual examination of the writing Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

8. Line Quality –are letters erratic or shaky Word and Letter Spacing – spaced or crowded Size consistency – compares ratio of height to width Continuous - pen lifts or continuous writing Connecting letters – are capitals and lower-case letters connected and continuous Letters complete – are letters fully written or partially The 12 Handwriting Characteristics (#1-6) Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

9. The 12 Handwriting Characteristics (#7-12) 7. Cursive/Printed – cursive printed or both (when) 8. Pen Pressure – equal ^ and V strokes 9. Slant – left, right, variable, no slant? 10. Line Habits – above line, below line, on line? 11. Flourishes or Embellishments – fancy curls? 12. Diacritic Placement – correct, misplaced, t’s crossed towards top/bottom, i’s dotted? Dotted to the right/left/centered? Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

10. COMPARING HANDWRITING • Overall form • Size, shape, slant, proportion,and beginning and ending strokes of the letters • Line features • Writing speed, fluidity, pen pressure, spacing between letters & words, and how letters are connected • Margins and Format • Width of margins • Content • Grammar, punctuation, word choice, repeated phrases Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

11. Handwriting Identification • Analysis of the “knowns” with a determination of the characteristics found in the known • Analysis of the questioned or unknown writing and determination of its characteristics • Comparison of the questioned writing with the known writing. • Evaluation of the evidence, including the similarities and dissimilarities between the “questioned” and “known” writing • The document examiner must have enough exemplars to make a determination of whether or not the two samples match. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

12. Technology Used in Handwriting Analysis Biometric Signature Pads “Learns” to recognize how a person signs Evaluates speed, pressure, and rhythm of the signature Recognizes forgeries by the detection of even slight differences Computerized Analysis Compares handwriting samples objectively Compared with samples stored in databases 11 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

13. Handwriting Evidence in the Courtroom Expert explains how comparisons were made Cross-examination by defense attorney may follow Shortcomings in Analysis Are the base documents real or fake? Did mood, age, fatigue impact the handwriting? Did experts miss details any details? 12 Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10 Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

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15. FORGERY • FORGERY = Items prepared with intent to deceive. • Forged documents include: • checks • employment records • legal agreements • licenses • wills • Fraudulence—forgery for material gain Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

16. Handwriting Samples • The tested subject should: • not be shown the questioned document • not be told how to spell words or use punctuation • use materials similar to those used in the original document • be asked to sign the text • always have a witness Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

17. Methods of Forgery • Simulated forgery—one made by copying a genuine signature • Traced forgery—one made by tracing a genuine signature • Blind forgery—made without a model of the signature Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

18. Check Fraud Forgery Counterfeit Alterations Paper Money Counterfeit Identity Social Security Driver’s license Credit Cards Theft of card or number Art—imitation with intent to deceive Microscopic examination Electromagnetic radiation Chemical analysis Contracts—alterations of contracts, medical records Types of Forgery Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

19. Document Alterations • Obliterations—removal of writing by physical or chemical means can be detected by: • Microscopic examination • UV or infrared (IR) light • Digital image processing • Indentations can be detected by: • Oblique lighting • Electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA) Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

20. Forensic Linguist • Experts that look at the linguistic content (the way something is written) of a questioned document. • Language that is used can help to establish the writer’s age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, professional training, and ideology. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

21. Graphology • Junk science that determines personality based on characteristics of handwriting • You will read an article about the Jon Benet Ramsey case and the graphology of the ransom note found at the crime scene Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

22. Ink Chromatography is a method of physically separating the components of inks Types • HPLC—high-performance liquid chromatography • TLC—thin-layer chromatography • Paper Chromatography Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

23. 3 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN ANALYZING INK CHROMATOGRAPHY • SOLVENT • INK • PAPER Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

24. Paper Differences • Raw material • Weight • Density • Thickness • Color • Watermarks • Age • Fluorescence Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

25. Pencils • Lead • Hardness Scale—a traditional measure of the hardness of the "leads" (actually made of graphite) in pencils. The hardness scale, from softer to harder, takes the form ..., 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, ..., with the standard "number 2" pencil being of hardness 2H. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

26. Evidence • Class characteristics may include general types of pens, pencils or paper. • Individual characteristics may include unique, individual handwriting characteristics; trash marks from copiers, or printer serial numbers. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

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28. Famous Forgersand Forgeries • Major George Byron (Lord Byron forgeries) • Thomas Chatterton (Literary forgeries) • John Payne Collier (Printed forgeries) • Dorman David (Texas Declaration of Independence) • Mark Hofmann (Mormon, Freemason forgeries) • William Henry Ireland (Shakespeare forgeries) • Clifford Irving (Howard Hughes forgery) • Konrad Kujau (Hitler Diaries) • James Macpherson (Ossian manuscript) • George Psalmanasar (Literary forgery) • Alexander Howland Smith (Historical documents) Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

29. Paper Chromatography of Ink Two samples of black ink from two different manufacturers have been characterized using paper chromatography. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

30. Retention Factor (Rf) • A number that represents how far a compound travels in a particular solvent • It is determined by measuring the distance the compound traveled and dividing it by the distance the solvent traveled.

31. Counterfeiting • In 1996 the government starting adding new security features to our paper money due to the advanced copying technologies that have raised the incidences of counterfeiting. • Subtle background colors have been added along with other features to discourage counterfeiting. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

32. DISTINGUISHING FROM COUNTERFIT Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

33. Pass Turns yellow Fail Black or dark brown $ AT THE CHEKOUT COUNTER • How $ is Tested • Iodine solution pen Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

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36. 4th amendment • The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

37. More aboutDocument Analysis For additional information about document and handwriting analysis, check out Court TV’s Crime Library at: lwww.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/literary/1.htm Or forgery cases at: www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/scams/lincoln_forgers/index.html Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company