Document and Handwriting Analysis

1. Document and Handwriting Analysis “The writing on the wall may be a forgery.” Ralph Hodgson

2. Questioned Document Any object that contains handwritten or typewritten markings whose source or authenticity is in doubt.

3. Everyone learns to write by either the Palmer (1880) or Zaner-Bloser (1895) method

4. Handwriting Experiment • Take out a sheet of paper and write your signature near the top • Now hold the pen/pencil in your clenched fist and sign your name by moving your wrist and arm. • Bend your arm fully and hold the pencil/pen in the crease of your elbow and sign your name

5. How is your handwriting determined? • First you learn by conscious copying • Eventually it stops being conscious and the brain become hardwired. • Now handwriting becomes an unconscious act • Now has habitual shapes and patterns that make it unique

6. Exemplar • Authentic sample used for comparison purposes • Make sure exemplar is many words and phrases similar to the questioned document • Exemplar must be long enough to see the range of natural variations • NO 2 WRITING SAMPLES ARE THE SAME • EVEN FROM THE SAME PERSON

7. How to get a proper exemplar • Suspect should NEVER be given questioned document • Sit comfortably at desk • Write with same type of paper and pen • Dictate phrases for them to write • Never tell them to write in upper or lowercase • Dictation should be given at least 3 times, if you notice differences, make them write it more times • If a signature is required, make the suspect 20-30 checks completely • Never tell the suspect how to spell any words

8. Handwriting Comparison • There are 12 traits to handwriting comparisons • REMEMBER: any single characteristic can be found in another person. • There must be a sufficient numbers of characteristics to make a match • Divided into 3 categories

9. Letter Form • Letter shape, curve, slant, size, continuous stroke, and correct appearance • Line Form • Smoothness of letters, darkness of lines of different strokes • Formatting • Spacing between letters, words, and lines, placement of words, & margins

10. Line Quality • Do letters flow or are they erratic or shaky? • Word and letter spacing • Are words and letters equally spaced or crowded? • Size consistency • Is the ration of height to width consistent? • Continuous • Is the writing continuous or does the writer lift the pen? • Connecting Letters • Are the capitals and the lower-case letters connected? • Letters complete • Are letters completely formed or is part of a letter missing?

11. Cursive and Printed Letters • Are there printed letters, cursive, or both? • Pen Pressure • Is pressure equal when applied to upward and downward strokes? • Slant • Left, right, or variable? • Baseline Habits • Is the test on the line, above the line, or below the line? • Flourishes or embellishments • Are there fancy curls? • Diacritic Placement • Placement of crosses on t’s and dots on i’s • Are the t’s crossed? Crossed in the middle, toward the top of bottom? Are the i’s dotted? Dotted toward the left, right, or centered?

13. Major Cases • Gilbert v. California • Upheld getting handwriting samples before appointment of counsel and lies outside the 5th Amendment • United States v. Mara • Ruled handwriting did not constitute unreasonable search and seizure and therefore did not violate the 4th Amendment rights

14. Types of Forgery • Simulated forgery • Copying a genuine signature • Traced forgery • Tracing a genuine signature • Blind forgery • Made without a model of the signature • Examples • Checks, credit cards, art, contracts, Counterfeits, Identity

15. 2 Types of Document Alteration • Obliterations • Removal of writing by chemical means or smearing over writing • Can be detected by: • Microscopic examination • UV or infrared light • Digital image processing

16. Erasures • Using eraser, razor, sandpaper to change writing • Can be detected by: • Side lighting • Microscopic examination

17. Chromatography • Using a liquid (solvent) to separate out different solutes (solids). • Can be used to determine which type of pen was used in questioned document

20. Paper • A thin layer of bonded fibers • Most is made of cotton, linen, wood, or a combination of these 3. • Watermark • Translucent mark to identify certain paper

21. Typescript Comparison • Look for random debris or ink lines from copier • Clogged or any defects in printer ink jets are unique • Impact (dot matrix) vs nonimpact (laser or inkjet) printers • Fax TTI (Transmitting Terminal Identifier) on the top of each faxed page.