Document Examination

The Document Examiner

• Questioned Document: any document about which some issue has been raised or that is the subject of an investigation

• Examines handwriting and typescript comparison

• Writing reconstruction• Discovering alterations of documents

Handwriting Comparisons

• General Style– Standard form of handwriting• Palmer method or the Zaner-Bloser Method

– Many children have handwriting samples follow a standard form but as they grow older individual characteristics begin to form

Palmer Method

Zaner-Bloser Method

Handwriting Comparisons

• Variations– Angularity, slope, speed, pressure, letter and word

spacings, relative dimensions of letters, connections, pen movements, writing skills, and finger dexterity

– Margins, spacing, crowing, insertions, and alignments

– Spelling, punctuation, phraseology, and grammar

Handwriting Comparisons

• Similar to fingerprinting no set rule for number of characteristics needed to produce a evidence for authorship

• Insufficient number of known writings are available

• Samples are carefully crafted• Handwriting exemplars—an authentic sample

used for comparison purposes

Importance of Exemplars

• Adequate number• Known writings need to contain characteristics

words, grammar, and letters for comparison• Age of the document• Realization no two signatures are the same• Collected either voluntarily or via court order

Court

• Gilbert vs. California– upheld taking of handwriting exemplars before the appointment of council

• United States vs. Mara—taking a handwriting sample did not constitute an unreasonable search and seizure

Clifford Irving

• Lines 1 and 3 as compared to 6…terminal stroke of the r has a curve at the baseline of the Irvings writing and the forgery

• Bridge of the W dropping in lines 1 and 6• Formation of the letter g on line 1 as

compared to second signature on line 5

Typescript Comparisons

• Photocopiers– Difficult to link documents to suspect copiers– Random debris, glass scratches, etc.

• Fax Machines– TTI (Transmitting Terminal Identifier) should be at

the top of the fax page• Computer Printers– Printer technology and ink type can be compared

Alterations, Erasures, and Obliterations

• Erasure- the removal of writing, typewriting, or printing from a document, normally accomplished by chemical means or abrasive tools

• Chemical—examine with microscope, ultraviolet, infrared light

• Abrasive tools– eraser, sand paper, razor– Disturb fibers of paper which can be seen under

microscope or by side lighting

Infrared Luminescence

• A property exhibited by some dyes that emit infrared light when exposed to blue-green light– Used in protecting documents– Also can reveal writing that has been erased

Other forms of alteration

• Obliteration– blotting out or smearing over writing or printing to make the original unreadable

• Charred documents—any document that has become darkened and brittle through exposure to fire or excessive heat

• Indented writings– impressions left on paper positioned under a piece of paper that has been written on

Document Examiners tools

• Microscope• Infrared light• Digitized imaging• ESDA (Electrostatic Detection Apparatus)• Chromatography of ink

Document Examiners Role