4 th amendment: the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects,...
TRANSCRIPT
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 searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Questioned Documents
Questioned Documents
• “Any document about which some issue has been raised or that is the subject of an investigation.”– Paper – Writings or markings
found on walls, doors, or other object
– Currency, checks– Art
Handwriting Comparison
• What makes handwriting unique?
• As students learn to write, they practice copying standard examples.
• Eventually, individuals take on unique habitual shapes and patterns.
• Examiners focus on the shapes & patterns
Handwriting Examination Handwriting Examination Two writings are the product of one person if their similarities are unique and no unexplainable difference are found.
1. Examine the questionable document for detectable traits and record them.
2. Obtain some writing of the suspect’s (an exemplar) and compare the traits found in the questionable document with it.
3. Draw conclusions about the authorship of the questionable document based on the comparison.
Handwriting Comparison
• “Extremely unlikely” that 2 individuals would have identical:– Mechanical function– Physical function– Mental functions
• To overcome unconscious handwriting factors– Slope– Pressure– Angularity– Relative dimensions.
Introduction to Handwriting Introduction to Handwriting Everyone’s handwriting shows natural variations. Here are 6 of the 12 major, specific traits.
Introduction to Handwriting Introduction to Handwriting The traits are functions of formatting or of letter or line form. Here are the other 6 of the 12 major, specific traits.
Handwriting Comparison
• Must have questioned & known
• What is enough to identify?
• Based on the training & experience of the examiner– Similar to latent prints or
firearm & tool mark examinations
Handwriting Comparison Problems
• Few words• Intentional changes
– Crude– Unnatural form– Careful changes
• Influence of drugs/EtOHDifficult to maintain
changed handwriting
Collection of Handwriting Exemplars
• “An authentic sample used for comparison purposes, such as handwriting.”
• Must have several samples to show the range of natural variation.
Typescript Comparison
Typewriters:1. Can the make &
model be ID’d?2. Can a particular
typewriter be ID’d as the one used
Comparison of individual type characters must be done
Typescript Comparison
• Word processors, computers use daisy wheels, dot-matrix, ink-jet, and laser printers.
• Difficult because they have only inconspicuous defects
Alterations, Erasures, and Obliterations
• Erasures: most common way to alter
• “The removal of writings, typewriting, or printing from a document. Normally accomplished by either chemical or abrasive means.”
Alterations, Erasures, and Obliterations
• Obliteration• “The blotting out or
smearing over of a writing or printing to make the original unreadable”
• Sometimes UV or IR light can be used to see original
Alterations, Erasures, and Obliterations
• Infrared Luminescence– Some inks absorb
radiation & reradiate IR light
– Blue-green light
Alterations, Erasures, and Obliterations
• Heat damaged documents
• Can cause darkening• Can cause brittleness• IR photography can
help make writing/text visible
Alterations, Erasures, and Obliterations
• Digital image processing
• Improve or enhance the visual quality of an image
Indented Writing
• “Impressions left on papers positioned under a piece of paper that has been written on”
• Can be read– oblique or side lighting
– Visible light microspectrophotometer
– Toner powder to a charged film
Inks
• Test by TLC– Thin Layer
Chromatography– Ink removed with
hypodermic needle
• Ink tagging– Dates year ink was made
• Paper examination– Fiber ID– Additives– Fillers– Pigments present
Forgery
Forgery
• “Process to make, alter, or falsify a person’s signature or another aspect of a document with the intent to deceive.”– Checks
– Employment records
– Legal agreements
– Licenses
– Wills
• If process results in material gain it is called fraudulence.
Check Forgery
• Americans write 70 billion checks annually
• $27 million illegitimate checks are cashed every day
• Check altering:– Ordering someone else’s checks– Directly altering check– Intercepting and cashing someone else’s check– Creating forged check from scratch
Prevention of Check Fraud
• Chemically sensitive paper• Large font
– Uses more ink
– Makes alterations more difficult
• High resolution borders on checks• Print with multiple color patterns• Embedded fibers
– Glow under certain light sources
• Chemical wash detection systems – Change color when check is altered
Counterfeiting
• “False documents or other items copied for purpose of deception”
• Examples:– Traveler’s checks– Bonds– Currency– Food stamps– Postage stamps
• U.S. Secret Service investigates counterfeiting
• Felony = 15 years
Dollar Bill Facts• Dimensions:
– 2.61 inches wide and 6.14 inches long
• 0.0043 inches thick– Mass of 1 gram
• Composition: cloth, not paper – 25% Cotton, 75% Linen
– Red and blue synthetic fibers
• Printing: Bureau of Engraving & Printing. – Each bill costs 4.2 cents to make
– 16,650,000 $1 bills are printed each day
• Life span: 18-22 months ($1)
Issuing Federal Reserve District 2 = NYC
Seal of Issuing Federal Reserve District B = NYC
Seal of US Treasury
Engraving Plate Identifier and Bill Location Identifier
Signatures of Treasurer and Treasury Secretary
Engraving Plate Serial Number
Serial Number
Design Date
Great Seal of the US
“In God We Trust” added by Eisenhower in 1957
The Great Seal (Front)
• 13 leaves in the Olive Branch (Right Talon)
• 13 arrows in left talon• 13 stars overhead• 13 Stripes on Shield
(Blue Bar represents congress)
• E Pluribus Unum: “From Many Comes One”
The Great Seal (Back)
• The Pyramid had 13 steps
• MDCCLXXV1 = 1776
• The Pyramid is unfinished– US is an ongoing project
• The western face is dark– Western US had yet to be
explored
• The deity watches over us
• Annuit Coeptus – “God Has Favored our
Undertakings”
• Novus Ordo Seclorum– “A New Order Has Begun”
The US Dollar and the Freemasons?
• The Eagle’s left wing has 32 feathers– #degrees in Scottish Rite
Freemasonry
• The Eagle’s right wing has 33 feathers– A 33rd degree mason for
outstanding service
• 9 Tail Feathers – Degrees in York Rite
Freemasonry
• 13 Stars: a five pointed star – A Masonic symbol
The US Dollar as a calendar?
• The pyramid has 13 steps. Suppose each step counts for 13 years (169 years total)
• Starting at the base (1776) the top would represent 1945. (Roosevelt died in 1945)
• The “Gap” represents 1945 – 1974 (resignation of Nixon) – A period of upheaval
• The “Cap” contains an additional 2 levels (26 years) – the Peak is the year 2000.
The Owl and the Spider
Can you find the owl on the US Dollar?.....look closely!
The Owl and the Spider
By the Way, the owl is a Masonic symbol of knowledge! Want a closer look?
The Owl and the Spider
Some argue that its not an owl at all….its a spider!
Detecting Counterfeit Money
Comparison: Portrait
• Genuine portrait:– Lifelike– Stands out distinctly
from the background.
• Counterfeit portrait: – Lifeless and flat– Details merge into the
background– Often too dark or
mottled.
Comparison: Federal Reserve & Treasury Seals
• Genuine bill: – Saw-tooth points of the
seals are clear, distinct, and sharp.
• Counterfeit bill:– Seals may have uneven,
blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.
Comparison: Borders
• Genuine bill:– Border lines are clear
and unbroken.
• Counterfeit bill:– Lines in the outer margin
and scrollwork may be blurred and indistinct.