Expert Forensic Document Examiner 2 The Scope of Document Examination 3 What is a Document & a Questioned Document? 4 Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, & Training 5 History 6 History for Discipline 7 History for A Change 8 Past Case - Albert S. Osborn 9 Current Case - Casey Anthony trial attack on forensic evidence 10 Casey continue 11 Ongoing Case - Gabrielle Giffords 12 Innovation 13 Types of Examinations 14 Research / An Experiment 15 Past & Future Explained 16 Court Exhibition 17 Expert Witness Testimony 18 Specimen Description 19 Protocols for Compare Script 20 Laboratory Test Result 21 Analysis 22 Conclusion 23 Reference 24 Reference 25

Contents

Expert Forensic Document ExaminerAn expert forensic document examiner refers to a person who studies & questioned all aspects of a document to determine its authenticity, origin, handwriting, photocopies, inks and papers to testify in the court. A forensic document examiner is intimately linked to the legal system as a forensic scientist. A Forensic Document Examiner must have a sound basic education through the baccalaureate degree. The typical training period is two years of study and practical experience in an established questioned documents laboratory where the examiner trainee studies the basic literature, completes study projects, becomes familiar with the role of forensic sciences in general and questioned documents in particular as they relate to the legal system. (US Legal, Inc. 2001-2014 )

The term "forensic" means simply, "having to do with the law."  Document Examination, as an established field of scientific study, came into being early in this century as a means of identifying forgery and establishing the authenticity of documents in dispute. It developed from the Court not able to correctly evaluate document for forgery. It has been stated that "Forgery was practiced from the earliest times in every country where writing was the medium of communication" according to Baker, 1955 referenced by (SAFDE)

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The Scope of Document Examination Identification of handwriting and signatures Identification of a document as a forgery Identification of typewriters, check writers, and

photocopies Detection of alterations, additions, deletions, or

substitutions Deciphering alterations and erasures Identification and deciphering of indented writing Comparisons of inks and identification of type of writing

instrumentIdentification of markings under crossed-out portions of

documentAuthenticating or disputing the origin of a document

(SAFDE 2005)

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What is a Document & a Questioned Document?A Document Questioned

DocumentA document is a complex handwriting or printing information with different characters or strokes.

A document according to SAFDE is best defined as anything bearing marks, signs, or symbols that have meaning or convey a message to someone. The 3 basic elements require to produce a writing are:

1) The writing surface2) The writing

instrument3) The transfer

medium

Questioned document is unsure document that has any or all of the following characteristics:

StainBlurdoubtful UnknownQuestionableVague

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, & Training Knowledge of: handwriting styles

and their physiological characteristics, and the proper operation and application of equipment/chemicals in preparing forensic analysis.

Ability to: detect genuineness, forgery, or alterations in questioned documents, prepare formal written reports of findings and conclusions to support legal action, present findings and conclusions clearly and concisely with the use of visual aids in a courtroom or instructional setting, convey orally in layman's terms, the process of examining questioned documents and their results.

Skill in: operating highly specialized equipment and preparing chemical compounds in a safe and secure manner

Training: Introduction to Fraud Security Features Birth Certificates Vehicle Documents   Driver Licenses and IDs Travel Documents Social Security Cards   Immigration Documents Military IDs Canadian Documents Mexican Documents Counterfeits and Alterations People and Actions

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(HRSF 2014)

History

The history of document examiner is as old as the alphabet dated back to the bible when Moses is an expert witness to God handwriting"The Ten Commandments"Questioned Document is the history of "Forgery" for "Forensic" "Science" for "Law" -Koppenhaver 2007

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History For Discipline

Many questioned document cases are proven on evidence other than handwriting examination. For example, in 1928 there was a famous case known as the Duke "Lost Heirs Case" which was tried in Somerville, NJ. A family Bible was introduced inscribed with the birth dates of children of the family. The mother claimed that she wrote the dates in the Bible shortly after the birth of the children in 1887 and 1889. However, careful examination of the Bible itself showed that it was copyrighted in 1890, invalidating the timing claimed by the mother.

(Will 2001-2008)

Notorious case in history for forensic document examiner according to Houck & Siegel (2010) is that of Alfred Dreyfus for treason 1870-1940 when Alphonse Bertillon was a photographer who developed the "science of anthropometry" who testified in court as an expert forensic document examiner that Dreyfus authored the pivotal document in questioned that later established to be false is setback to forensic base on science to established a reasonable doubt for bias as an affair with science.

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History For ChangeThe history of Forgery is a science that need to change, based on numerous history, forensic has been proven to be inaccurate and accused of bias in the procedure for analyzing handwriting according to Miller (1984) Bias among forensic document examiners: a need for procedural change.

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Past Case - Albert S. OsbornA case of a signature for penmanship is as to whether or not a signature is genuine for disputed document in July 1, 1940 should be looked for handwriting and perhaps photograph. The examination of signature should be made in good daylight for ink colors and whether the signature was writing in hurry. Suitable magnifying glasses should be in hand and as a rule, genuine writingshould be available for direct comparison according to this article “ink” old or fresh and exact size of paper cut or evenly by hand or by instrument, fold or crump are evidence to the authenticity of the signature.

Osborn is considered the pioneer of the question document field, he published a book that is widely excepted because of his extensive use of scientific techniques. Albert Osborn and Lindbergh Baby Case Result of his work and national attention, the QD field was included in many Federal and State Agencies. Now called Questioned Document Examiners

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Current Case - Casey Anthony trial attack on forensic evidence

An article written by Warren Richey on June 16, 2011 indicated that Lorie Gottesman, an FBI forensic examiner, testifies during the murder trial of Casey Anthony at the Orange County Courthouse, in Orlando, Fla., accused with killing her 2-year old daughter in 2008 found no evidence of a heart-shaped sticker or heart-shaped residue on a piece of duct tape that prosecutors say was the murder weapon used by Casey Anthony to suffocate her two-year-old daughter Caylee.

The case is important for twist according to Richey,In earlier testimony Gottesman told the jury that when examining the duct tape she used a high-tech device with special lights and filters that is capable of identifying images that are beyond the range of the human eye to see. In an unusual twist, Ms. Gottesman also testified that the only traceable DNA evidence found on the duct tape discovered near Caylee’s remains belonged to her. “How did it happen,” Mr. Baez asked. “I have no idea how it happened or when,” Gottesman told the jury. Baez asked if she sneezed on the evidence. “No sir.” “Throughout the entire time you had these items you exercised great care,” Baez asked

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__Richey (2011)

Casey continue The testimony is important because it raises doubt about one of

the most vivid and brutal suggestions in the case – that Caylee’s killer may have adorned the murder weapon itself with a heart-shaped sticker.

Outline of a heart In earlier testimony Gottesman told the

jury that when examining the duct tape she used a high-tech device with special lights and filters that is capable of identifying images that are beyond the range of the human eye to see.

During the prosecution’s case, earlier this week, an FBI fingerprint expert testified that she observed what appeared to be a dime-sized residue outline in the shape of a heart on a portion of the duct tape that allegedly covered Caylee’s face. A supervisor also said she saw the residue outline.

The expert, Elizabeth Fontaine, continued conducting fingerprint tests. Later, when she attempted to photograph the outline, she said she was unable to see it.

Heart stickers found The disappearing heart on the duct

tape isn’t the only heart-shaped piece of evidence in the case. Prosecutors also introduced a pink raised heart on a piece of soiled cardboard that crime scene investigators located in the same woods where Caylee’s remains were found.

Investigators found and seized heart stickers in a drawer in Casey’s bedroom. But it is unclear whether any of them match the raised pink heart found on the soiled cardboard or are similar to the dime-shaped image reported by the fingerprint expert.

Baez called three crime scene investigators who testified for the prosecution back to the witness stand to ask them how far away the pink heart on the cardboard was from Caylee’s remains.

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Ongoing Case - Gabrielle GiffordsRecent and ongoing case is a man accused of fatally gunning down

six people and wounding 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, to submit a handwriting sample -- a request that he, thus far, has refused

According to CNN, a federal prosecutor motion was filed Monday, out of the office of U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke in Arizona, asking the court to compel Jared Lee Loughner to write out something so authorities can view his writing style. The government wants the sample to compare with handwritten notes found in Loughner's residence that include mentions of Giffords "as well as references to guns and bullets," according to a court document. It says he has resisted such requests to date, "arguing that the court lacks authority" to force him to provide a sample. (CNN 2011)

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InnovationHistory AdvanceTurn of century, lifestyles

changed from rural to urban

From people that could distinguish the authenticity of a document.

Bias, the history Dreyfus case, setback the discipline

Drawing conclusions from certain types of characteristics in the handwriting sample

Allowed for more opportunities in education.

Attorneys would look toward penman for help with cases

Osborn, the pioneer of the question document field because he published a book

Use of scientific techniques. Albert Osborn and Lindbergh Baby Case

Accepted in court because they used scientific methods

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Types of ExaminationsHandwriting

ComparisonsPen lifts & pressureInk Examinations Indented Writing

Space between letters & words

Alterations Paper Analysis Photocopy AnalysisTypewriting Beginning and ending

stroke

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A Lay Witness Identification of Handwriting for (An Experiment) in 1939 referencing to ink as a source of evidence to proof the authorship

Inbau, F. E. (1939).

the signature specimens which were used in this experiment are reproduced and discussed in an article currently appearing in the Police Science section of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (Vol. 30, No. 4). Entitled “The Detection of Forgery”.

Research / An Experiment Sarratt, Document Examiner

Past & Future ExplainedIn the area for a consideration to the instrument such as ink or pen as an

attribution to proving the authenticity and the authorship of a handwriting. According to Neumann & Margot (2010), the bases for suggestions are; while there are often not enough characteristics to identify an instrument or a batch solely based on the analysis of an ink sample, the inference of the identity of source can be supported by a statistical process. This statistical process would supplement the limitations in the discriminating power of the chosen analytical techniques. In such case, the use of relevant databases, populated depending on the chosen definition of the source of an ink.

While this interpretative process would not lead to the individualization a given instrument, probabilistic statements could be reported for ink evidence as they are for other evidence types. At this point, it is important to realize that some of the definitions of the meaning attributed to the source of an ink can make the examination process uninformative -Neumann & Margot (2010).

Watch:

Move the mouse to the link, right click, select Open Hyperlink.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/31573-conspiracy-test-kalymon-handwriting-analysis-video.htm#mkcpgn=snag1

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Court ExhibitionMock Case #H03-034Questioned Document #E03-034-15

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My name is Modupe SarrattI am the Forensic Document Examiner for the Mock Case #H03-034

Expert Witness Testimony

Specimen DescriptionOne known exemplar (K1) was submitted by Mrs. Jackson for comparison with an unknown ASW scrap of paper found in the car of Mr. Aaron Andrade (Q1). Additional known exemplars of Mr. Aaron Anadrade (K2) and Mr. Alexander Rios (K3) were also submitted for comparison.

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Protocols for Compare ScriptUses science to study handwriting or script; an expert is someone

who uses science to analyses a document for differences in characteristic of the letters.

Scope of my examination include Identification unknown and known sample by their name Comparing handwriting of the unknown side by side with the known

By make a small mark at the top of each letter Using ruler to join the dots to identified handwriting pattern of the

unknown and exemplars Scrutinizing handwriting with

Microscopic/Oblique Lighting Macroscopic/Ultraviolet Lighting Electrostatic (ESDA) - Not Uses

To find what are,• Perfectly match• Mostly match• Somewhat match• Do not match at all

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Laboratory Test Result Physical Comparison of paper "Fracture match" examination of the cut edges of both sides of

each sheet of paper were unable to be matched with samples given from Mr. Andrade, Mrs. Jackson, and Mr. Rios

Microscopic/Oblique lighting Oblique lighting analysis with a Foster-Freeman Crime-Lite 82L

revealed no indented writing or markings of evidential value. Macroscopic/VSC6000

Examination under ultraviolet lighting revealed several fluorescent paper fibers bisected (cut).

Electrostatic (ESDA) – Not Used

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Analysis

Questioned document 3 Exemplars

NO MATCH FOR THE UNKOWN SAMPLE

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ConclusionNote: A document examiner may also say that he or she cannot arrive at a conclusion based on the given samples.

Upon testing following all the protocols and procedures. I concluded the questioned document and exemplars

• Do not match at all

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ReferenceCNN Wire Staff. (March 8, (2011 6:04 a.m. EST.) Feds try to force Arizona shooting suspect to give writing sample http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/03/07/arizona.loughner/index.html? _s=PM:CRIME Accessed 2014-09-04

HRSF: Human Resources San Francisco Class 8564. (2014-04-11). http://www.jobaps.com/SF/specs/classspecdisplay.asp?ClassNumber=82 64

Inbau, F. E. (1939). Lay witness identification of handwriting (an experiment). Ill. L. Rev., 34, 433. Accessed 2014-04-08

Layton, Julia. 26 August 2006 "How Handwriting Analysis Works”. HowStuffWorks.com. http://science.howstuffworks.com/handwriting-analysis.htm Accessed 08 April 2014

Neumann, C., & Margot, P. (2010). Considerations on the ASTM Standards 1789-04 and 1422-05 on the Forensic Examination of Ink. Journal Of Forensic Sciences (Wiley- Blackwell), 55(5), 1304-1310. doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01454.x

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ReferenceOsborn, A. S. (1940). THE INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL OF A QUESTIONED DOCUMENT CASE. Journal Of Criminal Law& Criminology (08852731), 31236- 245. Southern Association of Forensic Document Examiners (SAFDE 2005) http://www.safde.org/whatwedo.htm Accessed 2014-04-10

Video. (2014). How Stuff Work Accessed 2014-04-10http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/31573-conspiracy-

test- kalymon-handwriting-analysis-video.htm#mkcpgn=snag1

Winfrey, Tom. (Aug 19, 2010) Questioned Document Slide Showhttp://www.slideshare.net/tomwinfrey/questioned-

documents- slide-show Accessed 2014-09-04.

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