INTRODUCTION
’ΔΆ What is forensic document examination?
’ΔΆ How is it used and by whom?
’ΔΆ What is expected of forensic document examiners?
’ΔΆ Required equipment
’ΔΆ Handwriting and document terminology
BASIS OF HANDWRITING EXAMINATION
’ΔΆ What handwriting is and how it is learned
’ΔΆ What makes handwriting identifiable
’ΔΆ Principles and theories of handwriting identification
HISTORY OF HANDWRITING - AN OVERVIEW
PRIMARY HANDWRITING FEATURES I
’ΔΆ Class characteristics
’ΔΆ Pictorial appearance
’ΔΆ Arrangement
’ΔΆ Margins
’ΔΆ Paragraph Construction
’ΔΆ Alignment
’ΔΆ Slant
’ΔΆ Pressure
PRIMARY HANDWRITING FEATURES II
’ΔΆ Connecting strokes
’ΔΆ Hiatuses and pen lifts
’ΔΆ Initial and terminal strokes
’ΔΆ Embellishments
’ΔΆ Abbreviations
’ΔΆ Punctuation, dots and diacritics
’ΔΆ Letter form and design
HANDWRITING MEASUREMENTS
’ΔΆ Size & proportion
’ΔΆ Spacing (line, letter, word)
’ΔΆ Slant
’ΔΆ Use of measurement tools
COMPLEX WRITING FEATURES
’ΔΆ Movement
’ΔΆ Writing Skill
’ΔΆ Rhythm
’ΔΆ Speed
’ΔΆ Pen scope/writing impulse
LINE QUALITY
’ΔΆ Good versus poor line quality
’ΔΆ Possible causes for poor line quality
’ΔΆ Tremor (fine and gross)
’ΔΆ Importance of line quality when examining alleged forgeries
EVALUATION OF HANDPRINTING AND NUMERALS
HANDWRITING VARIABLES
’ΔΆ Natural Variation
’ΔΆ Accidentals
’ΔΆ Internal Influences
’ΔΆ External Influences
COMPARISON STANDARDS
’ΔΆ Significance of comparison material
’ΔΆ Legality of standards
’ΔΆ Scope & quality of standards
’ΔΆ Request exemplars
SIGNATURE EVALUATION
’ΔΆ Simple Forgery
’ΔΆ Freehand Simulation
’ΔΆ Tracing
EVALUATING QUESTIONED INITIALS
THE EXAMINATION PROCESS
’ΔΆ The Scientific Method
’ΔΆ Examination Protocol
’ΔΆ Comparison of Specific Handwriting Features
WRITING INSTRUMENTS/EXAMINATION OF INK
’ΔΆ Characteristics of writing produced by fountain pens, ballpoints, roller ball pens, porous tip pens, pencils
’ΔΆ Distinguishing one ink from another
PHOTOCOPIES & OTHER NON-ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
’ΔΆ Pitfalls to avoid
’ΔΆ Multi-generation copies
’ΔΆ Trash marks
’ΔΆ Scanned documents
’ΔΆ Faxed documents
ANONYMOUS WRITING
’ΔΆ Types of Anonymous Writings
’ΔΆ Investigating Anonymous Writing
’ΔΆ Disguise in Anonymous Writing Cases
’ΔΆ Comparison Features
DISGUISED WRITING
’ΔΆ Types of Disguise
’ΔΆ Self-Disguised Signatures
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
’ΔΆ Unnatural Writing
’ΔΆ Influence of Alcohol
’ΔΆ Handwriting of Elderly Persons
PEN DIRECTION & SEQUENCE OF DOCUMENT ENTRIES
’ΔΆ How to determine pen direction
’ΔΆ Evaluating stroke sequence
’ΔΆ Writing before and after paper folds
EVALUATING THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT
’ΔΆ Considerations regarding integrity of documents
’ΔΆ Examining Multiple Page Documents
EXAMINATION OF TYPEWRITING & COMPUTER GENERATED FONTS
’ΔΆ Identification/elimination of typewriting
’ΔΆ Identifying printer type (dot matrix, ink jet, laser)
ALTERED DOCUMENTS
’ΔΆ Erasures
’ΔΆ Obliterations
’ΔΆ Insertions
’ΔΆ Indented Writing
’ΔΆ Page substitutions
REACHING OPINIONS & RENDERING CONCLUSIONS
’ΔΆ Degrees of Certainty
’ΔΆ Written Reports
’ΔΆ Demonstrative Evidence (Comparison Charts, etc.)
THE DOCUMENT EXPERT AS WITNESS
’ΔΆ Preparation for Trial
’ΔΆ Depositions
’ΔΆ Rendering Testimony at Trial
THE BUSINESS OF DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
’ΔΆ Communicating with Clients
’ΔΆ Writing a Curriculum Vitae
’ΔΆ Records Management
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