Objectives:Objectives:
You will understand:You will understand:
How analyst can How analyst can individualize handwriting individualize handwriting to a particular person. to a particular person.
What types of evidence are What types of evidence are submitted to the submitted to the document analyst. document analyst.
Explain what an exemplar Explain what an exemplar is and give examples. is and give examples.
Explain the process of Explain the process of chromatography and chromatography and how it is used in how it is used in document forgery.document forgery.
DocumeDocument nt
AnalysisAnalysis
Forensic Document Examiner
• 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
Comparisons Are Useful Because:
• No two people have identical handwriting• By adulthood, it is exclusive to an individual (we all learned the same techniques to
begin writing in grade school)• Even disguised handwriting will exhibit some
of the person’s individual characteristics
Forensic Document Examiner
Evidence
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.
Standard Comparisons
• Include sample to be analyzed called an EXEMPLAR
• Samples from an individual include:– Collected writing comes from prior to the
beginning of the investigation (helps prevent or indicate when a person is disguising their handwriting)
– Requested writing is a dictated text using the same type of paper
– Same type of ink as the sample to be analyzed
Handwriting
Handwriting analysis involves two phases:
1. The hardware—ink, paper, pens, pencils, typewriter, printers
2. Visual examination of the writing
Ink
Chromatography is a method of physically separating the components of inks.
Types:
HPLC—high-performance liquid chromatography
TLC—thin-layer chromatography
Paper chromatography
Paper Chromatography of Ink
Two samples of black ink from two different manufacturers have been characterized using paper chromatography.
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.
Retention Factor (Rf)
Characteristics
Handwriting experts generally look at 12 characteristics of a person’s writing.
They try and compare a sample (called an EXEMPLAR) of the suspect’s writing to a known original.
1. Line quality
2. Word and letter spacing
3. Letter comparison
4. Pen lifts
5. Connecting strokes
6. Beginning and ending strokes
7. Unusual letter formation
8. Shading or pen pressure
9. Slant
10.Baseline habits
11.Flourishes or embellishments
12.Diacritic placement
12 Characteristics for Comparisons
Line quality - are the lines smooth or shaky? Do the letters flow or are they written with intent strokes?
Original
Forgery
Spacing – both words and letters – is spacing consistent
Ratio - height, width, size – are the letters consistent in size and shape?
Original
Forgery
Pen lifts and separation – are they consistent?
Original
Forgery
Connecting strokes – how are letters linked?
Original
Forgery
Beginning and ending strokes
Are the strokes straight, curled, long?
Original
Forgery
Unusual letter formation – letters written backwards, tails, loops
Original Forgery
Shading or pen pressure – differences in shading = differences in pen pressure
Original
Forgery
Slant – left, right, or pronounced
Is the slant or angle of the letters consistent?
Original
Forgery
Baseline habits
Does the writing go below the line?
There is a tendency for the top author (original) to write above the line while the forgery tends to be on the line.
Original
Forgery
Flourishes and embellishments any fancy letters?
Original
Forgery
Diacritic placement - cross t, dot i; is the line on the “t” in proportion? Are the “i’s” dotted left or right?
Original
Forgery
The i dot and t cross tend to the right of the letter.
The i dot is varied. The t cross is even. The form of the letter t is wider at the base.
Class Practice Activity
• Each student in your group should quickly write the following and place it in a pile.“Forensic handwriting analysis is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Anyone could see.” and sign your name.
• Then write “I think I get it, this is stupid” and sign it “Mr. Stokes” and shuffle these face down
• Select from the second group and compare to the samples to see who forged Mr. Stokes ’s name