1. Chapter 10 Handwriting Analysis, Forgery, and Counterfeiting
“The handwriting on the wall may be a forgery”
—Ralph Hodgson, British poet
SFS1. Students will recognize and classify various types of evidence in relation to the definition and scope of Forensic Science
SFS2. Students will use various scientific techniques to analyze physical and trace evidence.
Identify methods used for the evaluation of handwriting and document evidence.
Determine the appropriate uses of chromatography and spectroscopy in evidence analysis.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

2. Introduction
Document analysts examine and compare questioned documents with known material.
Experts in the field investigate such things as handwriting, computer printouts, commercial printing, paper, and ink.
They may study threatening, ransom, or suicide notes.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

3. History of Forensic Handwriting Analysis
In the 1930s, handwriting analysis played a role in the famous Lindbergh case.
In 1999, the United States Court of Appeals determined that handwriting analysis qualified as a form of expert testimony.
To be admissible in court, however, scientifically accepted guidelines must be followed.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

4. 12 Handwriting Characteristics
Line Quality
Word and Letter Spacing
Ratio of the height, width and size of letters.
Pen Lifts
Connecting strokes
Beginning and ending strokes
Unusual Letter Formation
Shading or pen pressure
Slant
Baseline Habits
Flourishes or embellishments
Diacritic Placement (i’s and t’s)
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

5. Copy the following on lined paper
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. I am a student in Coach Bisesi’s 4N6 class learning about different techniques scientists use to solve crimes. Today, I will learn about handwriting analysis and forgery. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog and counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

6. Line quality
Are the lines smooth or shaky?
Original
Forgery

7. Spacing - words and letters
What is the spacing between letters and words?
Is the spacing size consistent?

8. Ratio - height, width, size
Are the letters consistent in shape & size?
Original
Forgery

9. Pen lifts and separation
Does the person stop to form new letters and begin words?
Are the pen lifts consistent?
Forgeries may have lifts in unusual places.
Original
Forgery

10. Connecting strokes
Compare how letters are linked. Are capitals connected to lowercase letters and are there connecting strokes between letters and words?
Original
Forgery

11. Beginning and ending strokes
Are these straight, curled, long or short, an upstroke or a downstroke?
Original
Forgery

12. Unusual letter formation
Are there any unusually formed letters such as backward,
letters with a tail, or unusual capitals?
Original
Forgery

13. Shading or pen pressure
Differences in shading = differences in pen pressure
Is the pen pressure on the upward or the downward strokes?
Original
Forgery

14. Slant Is slant left or right or straight up and down?
Is there consistency between the slant of letters.
Original
Forgery

15. Baseline habits Is the writing above, below, or right on a line?
Original
Is the writing above, below, or right on a line?
Forgery

16. Flourishes and embellishments
Are their any? If so what are they?
Original
Forgery

17. Diacritic placement - dot i, cross t
Is the line on the “t” in proportion? Are the “i’s” dotted left or right?
Original
The i dot and t cross tend to
the right of the letter.
Forgery
The i dot is varied.
The t cross is even.
The form of the letter
t is wider at the base.

18. Handwriting Samples
The subject should not be shown the questioned document
The subject is not told how to spell words or use punctuation
The subject should use materials similar to those of the document
The dictated text should match some parts of the document
The subject should be asked to sign the text
Always have a witness
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

19. Handwriting Identification
Analysis of the “knowns” with a determination of the characteristics found in the known
Analysis of the questioned writing and determination of its characteristics
Compare the questioned writing with the known writing.
The document examiner must have enough exemplars to make a determination of whether or not the two samples match.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

20. Technology Used in Handwriting Analysis
Biometric Signature Pads
This computerized pad “learns” to recognize how a person signs his or her name based on the speed, pressure, and rhythm of the signing.
Forgeries then are recognized by the detection of even slight differences.
Computerized Analysis of Handwriting
Computers can make objective comparisons between handwritings.
Suspect signatures can be compared with ones stored in databases.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

21. Evidence in the Courtroom
Handwriting
Evidence in the Courtroom
The expert shows how comparisons were made.
The defense attorney likely will cross-examine the handwriting expert.
Shortcomings in Analysis
A particular piece of handwriting can be different from its usual style because of factors such as fatigue.
Experts can miss details.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

22. FISH
The Secret Service maintains a handwriting computer data base called the Forensic Information System for Handwriting (FISH) . It stores writing samples to use to compare to threat letters received by the USA.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

23. Forgery
Forged documents can include such things as checks, employment records, legal agreements, licenses, and wills.
Fraudulence is forgery done for material gain.
Check forgery can include:
ordering another’s checks from a deposit slip.
altering a check.
intercepting another’s check, altering, and cashing it.
creating a check from scratch.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

24. Prevention of Check Fraud
Print checks on chemically sensitive paper
Use large font requiring more ink to make alterations more difficult
Use high resolution borders on checks
Print checks with multiple color patterns
Embed fibers that glow under light sources
Use chemical wash detection systems that change color when check is altered

25. Literary Forgery
Letters or other documents written by famous people can be very valuable.
The best literary forgers aim to duplicate the original document by using materials similar to those used for the original:
old paper
chemically treated materials to fake an older look
inks mixed from substances that would have been used at the time
watermarks that add the appearance of age
tools and styles that would have been popular at the time
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

26. Forensic Linguist
Experts that look at the linguistic content (the way something is written) of a questioned document.
Language that is used can help to establish the writer’s age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, professional training, and ideology.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

27. Ink
Chromatography is a method of physically separating the components of inks
Types
HPLC—high-performance liquid chromatography
TLC—thin-layer chromatography
Paper Chromatography
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

28. Paper Chromatography of Ink
Two samples of black ink from two different manufacturers have been characterized using paper chromatography.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

29. Retention Factor (Rf)
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.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

30. International Ink Library
The U.S. Secret Service maintains an ink database that includes over 12,000 inks. Every year ink and pen manufacturers are asked to submit ink formulas to the library.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

31. 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 printers
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

32. Paper Differences Raw material Weight Density Thickness Color
Watermarks
Age
Fluorescence
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

33. Pencils
Hardness Scale—a traditional measure of the hardness of the "leads” in pencils.
The hardness scale, from softer to harder, takes the form ..., 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, ..., with the standard "number 2" pencil being of hardness 2H.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

34. Document Alterations
Obliterations - removal of writing by physical or chemical means can be detected by:
Microscopic examination
UV or infrared (IR) light
Digital image processing
Indentations can be detected by:
Oblique lighting
Electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA)
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

35. Art Forgeries
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

36. Counterfeiting
Counterfeiting money is a crime stretching back into ancient times. Items most often forged today include:
currency
traveler’s checks
food stamps
certain bonds
postage stamps
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

37. Counterfeiting
In 1996 the government starting adding new security features to our paper money due to the advanced copying technologies that have raised the incidences of counterfeiting.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10

38. Counterfeit Currency
The Secret Service has worked with electronics and software makers to add security features to paper currency that makes forgery extremely difficult.
Scanning cannot reproduce these security features.
The first security feature is the feel of the paper.
Regular printer paper contains starch. Paper bills contain rag fiber instead of starch.
Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 10