1. Document Examination
Chapter 16

2. What does a document examiner do?
Examine handwritten and typescript to ascertain the source or authenticity
Identify alterations like overwriting, erasures, etc
Establish authenticity of written documents like letters, checks, driver’s licences, contracts, wills, voter registration, passports, petitions, and lottery tickets

3. Can you tell if this money is counterfeit?

4. Why would someone forge a document?

6. Handwriting Comparisons
Examiners gather documents of known authenticity or origin to compare
Uniqueness of handwriting is definitive

7. General Style
At first we learn to copy standard letter forms & handwriting will have only minor differences from others
The writing process becomes unique when nerve and motor responses become subconscious
Habitual shapes and patterns distinguish our writing

8. Variations in Writing Variations are found in: Angularity Slope Speed
Pressure
Letter & word spacing
Relative dimensions of letters
Connections
Pen Movement
Writing Skill
Finger dexterity

9. The arrangement can also vary
Look for differences in the arrangement of
Margins
Spacings
Crowding
Insertions
Alignment
Spelling
Punctuation
Grammar
Phraseology

10. So how can you make a conclusion?
Examiners look for a sufficient number of common characteristics between the known and questioned documents.
They make comparisons between known and questioned documents
Could you successfully disguise your handwriting?

11. Can you disguise writing?
Writing habits may be disguised for a few words or sentences, but writing habits become more difficult to hide when asked to write more.
Questioned authors may be asked to provide writing samples.
Exemplars are authentic samples used for comparison purposes
Are the exemplars reliable?

13. Exemplars
Writing may vary or be altered by the influence of drugs or alcohol
Styles and habits may alter:
From pen to pencil
If paper is ruled or unruled

15. Natural Variations
Natural Variations are normal deviations found between repeated specimens of handwriting
Variations are inherent.
No 2 signatures are the same – even copied signatures can be identified this way
Basic writing styles and changes occur slowly
The age of the questioned document is important and should be compared to known samples of the same age or within 2-3 years

16. What do you notice about these signatures?

17. Can you tell the signature was traced?

18. How can you get a good writing sample from a suspect?
Write comfortably with no distractions
Do not help with spelling or punctuation
Use similar pencil/pen to questioned document
Obtain at least one page of sample writing from suspect
Include signatures with the writing texts
Dictate the same words or text as in the questioned document