1 Questioned Document and Handwriting Examination 2 What is a Questioned Document?. Examples of questioned documents include letters, checks, licenses, contracts, wills, passports, art, lottery tickets etc. Elements of questioned documents include the handwriting, ink and paper. 3 The Comparison A questioned document will be compared to a known exemplar or sample (if available). The most common type of comparison involves handwriting analysis. The document examiner may also determine what happened to a document, when it was produced and if any markings have been obliterated or erased. 4 The Correct Expert.Unfortunately, no federal licensing exists for a document examiner. However, certification is offered through the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE). A certified document examiner is an acceptable witness in court. However, a graphologist attempts to predict character traits from handwriting examination. This type of expert is not acceptable as an expert witness. 5 Handwriting Analysis According to Sheila Lowe in her book, Handwriting of the Famous and Infamous, former President Bushs handwriting is fast and highly simplified in fairly well-organized writing field. Is this a forensic document examiner or a graphologist?? 6 Handwriting Handwriting analysis involves two phases: 1. A determination of the hardware used to make the text. Ink, paper, pencils, typewriters, photocopiers, printers and fax machines are types of hardware. 2. Visual examination of the handwriting characteristics on the document. 7 The Hardware-Ink Ink is a liquid that is composed of pigments, dyes and other materials. An examiner will analyze the ink of the known and questioned document to determine if the two documents were made by the same pen. The analysis of ink involves chromatography. This process physically separates the components of the ink. Types of chromatography include: Gas Chromatography HPLC--high-performance liquid chromatography TLC--thin-layer chromatography Paper Chromatography 8 Paper Chromatography of Ink Two samples of black ink from two different manufacturers are separated into their unique components using paper chromatography. 9 Retention Factor (R f ) This is a number that represents how far a compound travels in a particular solvent. It is determined by measuring the distance the solute traveled and dividing it by the distance the solvent traveled. 10 Another Type of Chromatography Gas chromatography separates mixtures on the basis of their distribution between a stationary liquid phase and a moving gas phase. The written record of the results is called a chromatogram. A typical one will show a series of peaks, with each representing one component of the mixture. 11 United States International Ink Library The Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service partnered to create and maintain this database. Over 8,500 inks dating back to the 1920s are included in the collection. Each year new pen and ink formulas are added to the database. 12 The Hardware - Paper Most paper is made from wood pulp. Some types of paper are treated with chemicals or include cotton fibers. For example, newspaper contains only wood pulp, but shopping bags are treated with sulfate for extra strength. 13 The Hardware - Paper The paper used for both the questioned document as well as the exemplar will be evaluated using: Weight assigned based on the weight of a ream Thickness measured to 1/1000 th of an inch Color fillers are added for certain colors Water marks a translucent design viewed by holding the paper to the light Age determined by Carbon-14 dating 14 The Hardware - Pencils Most pencils are wooden cylinders with a graphite core. The core is measured by the Hardness Scale. The Hardness Scale is a traditional measure of the hardness of the "leads" (actually made of graphite) in pencils. The hardness scale has a range from 9B (the softest) to 9H (the hardest). 15 The Hardness Scale H stands for hard, B for black and F for fine. The typical #2 pencil used in school is a HB pencil. 16 The Hardware - Typewriter Although typewriters are not as widely used today, there are still typescripts that need to be analyzed. An examiner will need to determine 1. The make and model of the typewriter. 2. Any unique feature that will link the questioned document to a particular typewriter. 17 The Hardware Photocopiers, Printers and Fax Machines The onset of digital technology created many new machines capable of creating documents. Document examiners are now asked to examine copied documents from photocopiers, printers and fax machines. Examiners will be asked to determine 1. The make and model of these machines. 2. Any markings or smudges on the copied document that are unique to the machine. 18 The Visual Examination In conjunction with hardware examination, a visual examination is performed. This visual examination will focus on specific handwriting characteristics. 19 Obtaining a Handwriting Sample Many times a suspect with be asked to provide a handwriting sample. There is a protocol for obtaining this sample 20 Handwriting Sample Protocol 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. A witness should be present. 21 Handwriting Characteristics Used in A Comparison Line Quality Lettering Slant Word and Letter Spacing Unusual Letter Formation Letter Comparison Diacritic Placement Baseline Habits Pen Lifts Body Placement Pen Pressure 22 Handwriting Identification ACE is used to determine if the handwriting of the known and questioned documents are a match. Analysis of both the known and questioned writing to determine its unique characteristics. Comparison of the questioned writing with the known writing. Evaluation of the evidence, including the similarities and dissimilarities between the questioned and known writing. 23 Forensics Linguistics Occasionally a linguist will be asked to examine a document. These experts look at the linguistic content (the way something is written) of a questioned document. The language that is used can help to establish the writers age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, professional training, and ideology. 24 Forensics Linguists (cont) For example, a kidnapper and murderer sent text messages from the victims cellular telephone to the family so the family would think she was still alive and texting them. A linguist compared the voice of three months of text messages. The most recent texts (from the kidnapper) used the number 2 instead of to, aint instead of Im not and phone instead of fone. This comparison indicated that the victim did not send the most recent messages and was in fact dead. 25 Which Category of Evidence 1. Class characteristics--the type of ink may have similar characteristics as the exemplar. Handwriting may be used to include or exclude a suspect. 2. Individual characteristics-with document analysis, it is difficult to determine individual characteristics except with typewriter or printer specific marks. 26 After the Examinations are Complete Once the examination of the questioned document is complete, the investigator must decide if a crime has been committed. Possible crimes include: Fraud Forgery Counterfeiting Identity Theft 27 Fraud, Forgery, Counterfeiting and Identity Theft Fraud is an intentional deception for personal gain or for harm to another. Forgery is the process of creating, adapting or imitating objects or documents with an intent to deceive. Therefore, forgery is a type of fraud. The forging of money is counterfeiting. The forging of a person is identity theft. 28 The Three Types of Forgery 1. The most common and easiest to detect is a blind forgery. A blind forgery occurs when the forger uses his/her own handwriting and does not try to copy the original. 2 When the forger has a copy of the original signature and tries to copy that original, it is a simulated forgery. 3. A traced forgery occurs when the forger places a document over the original signature and traces the signature on the new document. 29 Comparison of Two Checks The forger changed the six to sixty. 30 Forged Check Example of a blind forgery.. 31 Other Clues from the Visual Examination In addition to the handwriting analysis, other inconsistencies may be determined from the visual examination. Obliterations indicate that the document has been changed. An examiner must determine if the change is part of the original document. An obliteration may be physical or chemical. An example of a physical obliteration is erasing with an eraser. A strong oxidizing agent can make ink colorless. This type of chemical obliteration is visible under UV lighting. 32 Other Clues from the Visual Examination Indented impressions are often left on the paper that was underneath the original document. These indentions are due to the pressure of the writing utensil. Oblique lighting will enhance these indentations. 33 A CRAZY CRIMINALS SIGNATURE According to Point of View, a magazine published by the Alameda county District Attorneys office, a guy walked into an Oakland bank and handed the teller a note reading, this is a stikkup. Hand over all yer money fast. Guessing from this that the guy was no rocket scientist, the teller replied, Ill hand over the cash as long as you sign for it. Its a bank policy that all robbers have to sign for their money. The guy thought this over, then said Uh, I guess thats OK. He signed his full name and address. Thats where the cops found him a few hours later. 34 Counterfeiting Forging money is known as counterfeiting. This is one of the oldest crimes. During the Civil War, when all banks issued their own currency, approximately one-third of money was counterfeit. This was a threat to the U.S. economy. So in 1863, the United States adopted a national currency. 35 Counterfeiting (cont) The adoption of the national currency really did not curtail the amount of counterfeiting. In 1865, the Secret Service was created to investigate and stop counterfeiting. Although counterfeiting is not as pervasive as it once was, it is still a common crime. The latest technology has made it much easier to copy and counterfeit money. In 1996, the U.S. government began to add new features to money. 36 Counterfeiting (cont) Some of these features include: A watermark Color shifting ink Off-center portrait Randomly disbursed red and blue fibers in the paper 37 Which $10.00 is counterfeit?