Document and Handwriting Analysis

Forgery has been practiced since the beginning of writing. Under Roman Law, the Code of

Justinian enacted in AD 539 stated that handwriting should

be compared in the case of public documents and private

instruments where an advantage could be gained.

The code ordered that experts be used.

Essential Questions

• How can an expert analyst individualize handwriting to a particular person?

• What types of evidence are submitted to the document analyst?

• What are the three types of Forgery?• How are different types of paper and ink

characterized?• What significant features are indicative of

counterfeit money?

Documents as EvidenceHow do investigators examine questionable documents?

When questioned documents are examined, various investigations are done:

• Verification of handwriting and signatures• Authenticating documents• Characterizing pigments, paper and inks used in writing

utensils, instruments, and copy machines• Restoring erased and obliterated writing• Determining the relative age of the documents and inks

Handwriting IndividualityHow can we use handwriting to identify a person?

• Handwriting is one of the few definitive unique characteristics available to an investigator– Childhood writing habits carry over into our adult years and are

called class characteristics– The knowledge of how to write becomes subconscious and we

develop nuances in our writing– Combinations of unique features gives our handwriting individual

characteristics

• With enough evidence and exemplars, a document expert may be able to present handwriting as individual evidence in a court of law.

Analysis of Handwriting How is handwriting analyzed?

Handwriting experts may be able to make a positive identification if there are enough samples for examination and enough exemplars.

12 characteristics of examination:1. Line quality - Irregular, laborious, shaky, lack of rhythm

2. Spacing of words or letters -Larger, wider, higher, inconsistent, different spacing after caps

3. Ratio of relative height width and size of letters - Wider M's and W's, more squared or wedge-shaped stokes

4. Pen Lifts and separations - Frequent lifts off paper

12 characteristics of examination:5.Connecting strokes – Wider spacing between, more squared, shorter, or broken loops

6. Beginning and ending strokes - Heavier pressure, blobbed, vertical position change or slanting

7. Unusual letter formation - More teardrop or egg-shaped, frequent counterclockwise formations

8. Shading or pen pressure - Heavier than usual

12 characteristics of examination:9. Slant - Greater than 5 degree change, other-hand slanting

10. Baseline habits - Change in baseline habits, more downward slants from baseline

11. Flourishes or embellishments - formal signature used, often retracing strokes, foreign marks present

12. Placement of diacritics - Heavier t-crossings and i-dots, position placement changes **

Methods of ForgeryWhat are the three types of Forgery?

• The most common forgery is a signature!

• There are 3 types of forgery:1 – blind forgery, one made without a model of

the signature or writing

2 – simulated forgery, one made by copying a genuine signature

3 – traced forgery, one made by tracing a signature

ObliterationsHow can we tell if a document was changed?

• Often documents are changed after preparation. Common methods include:– Physically erasing with a rubber eraser– Scraping the ink off the paper surface– Chemical methods

• Microscopic examination or UV light may reveal the alteration.

• Digital image processing make obliterations more visible through lightening, darkening, contrast, and filters.

IndentationsHow do scientists read indented writing?

• Often an indented impression is left on paper beneath the primary writing because of the pressure of the writing utensil.

• Indentations increase a paper’s capacity to hold an electrostatic charge– Pouring toner powder from a

copy machine over a charged sheet of plastic covering the paper can create and image which is then photographed.

Drawing personality inferences from handwriting samples

• Graphology systems tend to be one of three types:

(1) those based on individual letter formations;

(2) those based on stroke analysis;

(3) those based on an holistic method

• Private business companies use it routinely

- Has the most validity with the following: intelligence; attitude toward work; and interpersonal skills.

• Recent developments have focused on "profiling" of un-captured criminals and sex offenders

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

Individualizing Typing and PrintingWhat can we tell out the printed document?

• Investigators can often individualize typewriters through wear and defects in the typeface and misalignment of characters– The FBI maintains a library of makes, models and font

types

• Color printers and photocopiers may add a pattern of minuscule yellow dots to the printout, encoding the printers serial number ……..

• Debris, gripper marks, platen defects, and dirt can all contribute to what are termed “trash marks” on copies from a copier.

Paper and InksWhat kind of information can we get from the paper?

• Paper is made from wood pulp and may contain chemicals or additive, such as cotton fibers.– 25-50% cotton is called bond

paper– Mechanically produced wood

pulp paper is used in newspapers

– Stationary is chemically treated with sulfate

• Some manufactures include watermarks that indicate when and where the paper was manufactured

• The Forensic Scientist will look at the following characteristics to identify paper:– Raw material the paper is

made from– Color– Density– Watermarks– Dyes or bleaches– Fluorescence under UV light– Paper thickness

Paper and InksWhat kind of information can we get from the ink?

• Investigators often compare inks by their composition.– Establish how long it has been on paper

CounterfeitingHow can you tell if money has been counterfeited?

Genuine Currency- paper has tiny red and blue

fibers embedded throughout

- fine border lines are clear and unbroken

- Serial numbers nave a distinctive style and are evenly spaced. Printed in the same ink color as the Treasury Seal

- The saw tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals are clear, distinct, and sharp

- Genuine portrait appears lifelike and stands out distinctly from the background

Counterfeit Money- Fake the look of these fibers by

printing red and blue lines

- Lines in the outer margin and scrollwork may be blurred or indistinct

- Serial numbers may differ in color or shade of ink from the Treasury Seal. The number may not be uniformly spaced or aligned.

- Seals may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw tooth points

- Portrait is usually lifeless and flat. Details merge into the background, which can be dark and mottled.

Comparing Money…..

What's wrong with this bill?

• March 2006

• A man was arrested for possessing 250 of these. Why?