Document Analysis

Questioned document

• Document whose source or authenticity is in question

Examples of Questioned Documents

• Embezzle by altering books

• Checks• Lottery tickets• Wills • Contracts• Driver’s licenses• Voter registrations• Petitions

• Letters• Autographs• Passports• Hold-up notes• Medical records• Insurance forms• Suicide notes• Diaries

Careers

• Serve a 2 year apprenticeship in a large lab• No college degrees in this specialty• Recommend bachelor’s degree in a lab science• Take courses in law, photography

• Certification by ABFDE =American Board of Forensic Document Examiners

Federal Labs w/ Q.D. labs

• FBI

• USPS

• US Secret service

• ATF

• IRS

• CIA

• Military

Tools of document examiner

• Microscopes

• Photographs

• Chemical analysis

What affects handwriting?

• Illness (stroke or Parkinson’s)

• Fatigue

• Stress

• Impaired vision

• Hand/arm injuries

• Awkward writing position

• Intoxication

1st major case using handwriting analysis

• Kidnapping of Lindbergh baby

• Letters of kidnapper’s signature matched letters from ransom note

Obtain standards

Standard = writing sample = exemplar

• A) Nonrequested standard

• B) Requested standard

Nonrequested standards

• Already exist

• Authentic

• Show true writing habits

• Frequently used words/phrases

• Need to be written at same age as the questioned document

Requested standard

• Made under supervision

• Can use passages from the questioned document

• May be able to fake handwriting for a time

but not for long periods of time.

• Court ordered handwriting samples are legal

• Does not violate 5th amendment (right not to incriminate or testify against oneself)

• Does not violate 4th amendment(sample not considered unreasonable search and

seizure)

Handwriting comparisons

• Look for– Points of similarity– Points of difference

Cursive easier than print to analyze

Handwriting Features

1. Overall form – size, shape, slant, proportion, beginning and ending strokes

2. Line features- writing speed, fluidity, pressure, spacing, connections

Handwriting Features

3. Margins and format –

width of margins

spacing consistency

slant between lines

4. Content

grammar

punctuation

choice of words

Examiner’s conclusions

1. Absolute match

2. Match w/ a high probability

3. Probably match

4. Do not match

5. Inconclusive

FBI handwriting databases

• National Fraudulent Check File

• Bank Robbery Note File

• Anonymous letter file

• FISH = Forensic Information System for Handwriting (scan and digitize documents)

Forgery

• Writing or altering a document w/ the intent to defraud

• Types of forgery:

a. freehand simulation

b. tracing

Clues to detect forgeries

a. Evidence of practice

b. Tremors

c. Uneven writing speed, pressure

d. Pen lifts

e. Patching, retouching

Alterations

• Remove, add, change parts of a document

• Why alter a document?– Financial gain– Create an alibi– Change evidence

Types of alterations

1. Erasures

2. Burning

3. Obliterations (ex.Bleaching)

4. Additions/Overwriting

Erasures

• Eraser

• Sharp instrument

• Sandpaper

How to detect erasures

1. Magnifying glass or micropscope

(oblique lighting)

2. UV or infrared light –exposes bits of eraser in the fibers of the paper

3. Lycopodium powder-sticks to rubber particles erasers.

4. Backlighting – turns erased areas light

- darkens correction fluid

Bleaching

• Oxidize/bleaching agents to remove writing

• Ink becomes colorless

• May leave discoloration

• May be visible w/ microscope

Adding Words

• Change amount of check

• Change date of contract or will

Overwriting

• Adds to a document

Ex. Change a 1 to a 9

Ex. Add 0 to a check

Effective if the exact same pen is used

Detecting additions/overwriting

1. Microscopes will show minor diff in - ink colors

- line thickness

- pen pressure

Also: marks on ballpoint pen may be distinctive

2. UV of infrared light exposes diff inks even if they are the same color

- some fluoresce

- some fade

a) Photograph images

b) Chemical analyses of inks

Indentations

• Underlying pages of the original document

• Fibers are pushed in

Detecting indentations

a. Oblique lighting

b. Scanning electron microscope

c. ESDA – electrostatic detection apparatus

Paper analysis

Paper is made of:

Cotton

Wood

Chemical additives

brightness, strength, durability, color

Chemical additives

Coatings – improve appearance

Fillers – add color, strength, surface texture

Sizings – make writing appear clear/sharpNote: Chemical additives are unique to each

manufacturer.

Inks

• Is the ink the same for the entire document?

• Was the ink actually in existence at the time?

Analyzing inks

1. Microspectrophotometry measures how inks transmit, absorb, and reflect light

2. TLC= thin layer chromatographyseparates the ink components

Ink Reference Database

• US Secret Service Forensic lab

Note: some manufacturers now add fluorescent-dye tags to their inks (changed annually)

Copiers

• Marks may be left – Mechanism that pulls the paper through the

machine– Scratches in cover glass– Marks on camera lens

Used to determine a. Age of documentb. Which copier was used

World War II

• British intelligence sent letters to French resistance fighters using forged stamps

George Harrison

• Relatives listed a fake address on death certificate to keep fans away

Bills

• UV lights -- detect fluorescent strips

• Iodine pens- detect starch (not used in real money)

Copyright and trademark infringement

• Computer games

• Watches

• Perfume

• Music

Websites

• US Army crime lab

• Reddy’s forensic web page

• Questioned documents page –Emily Will

Websites

• http://www.aafs.org/default.asp?section_id=meetings&page_id=other#JULY%202005

• http://www.freereferral.com/resume/C000558A.php ex. Of cont. ed/ training

• http://www.decinc.ca/comp/compare.html• List of nonrequested samples