www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 1 CRIMINALISTIC-4 QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS EXAMINATION By: Rico T. Musong, R.C.

Subject Code: Criminalistics 4 Subject Course Title: Qu estioned Documents Examination Course Description: The course covers the scienti fic methods of identification and examination of questionable documents, handwri ting examination, detection of forgery, falsification and counterfeiting of docu ments with stress on the procedures of restoring and deciphering erasures and ob literation; examination of documents with the use of visible light, ultraviolet and ultra-red radiation and colored powders; recognition and selection of standa rds; the examination of questionable typewriting, computerized documents and oth er forms of modern printing. What is Forensic Document Examination? The term "fo rensic" means simply, "having to do with the law." Document Examination, as an e stablished field of scientific study, came into being early in this century as a means of identifying forgery and establishing the authenticity of documents in dispute. It grew out of the need of The Court to be able to correctly evaluate d ocument evidence. It has been stated that "Forgery was practiced from the earlie st times in every country where writing was the medium of communication" (The La w of Disputed and Forged Documents, J. Newton Baker). It was especially profitab le in those earlier times of general public illiteracy. For the reason that most of an examiner's work involves some form of handwriting problem, the field is s ometimes referred to as "Handwriting Identification" and the practitioner as a " Handwriting Expert". Albert S. Osborn , with the publication of his book Questio ned Documents in 1910, is rightfully credited with laying the foundation of this field of forensic examination. Forensic document examination applies the princi ple of science and logic to all questioned document problem in order to determin e the origin, authenticity and genuineness .Answers are sought to questions rega rding handwriting, typewriting, imprint document, alteration, ink, paper, writin g instrument and other problem that may challenge the integrity of a document. T he examination of document is one of the oldest fields of the Forensic Science. History reveals that the practice of forgery and other frauds involving document evolved almost as early as the development of writing as a medium of communicat ion. Every investigator and law enforcer must know basic knowledge /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 2 regarding the scientific method in the accurate collection and preservation of e vidence pertaining to questioned document problem. The role of the document exam iner does not end in the generation of examination results and offering of exper t opinion. But rather it is the study and responsibility of a document examiner to testify in court if the need to do so arises; which usually happens when a do cument case is filed in court. Historically, Questioned Document Examination has been somewhat of an inclusive profession, even to the point where so-called pse udo-experts (in palmistry and fortune-telling) were sometimes welcome, and even today, it suffers from a bit of identity crisis in that at least eight (8) diffe rent, or related, areas can be identified: Questioned Document Examiners -- A document examiner analyzes any questioned doc ument and is capable of more than just questions of authorship limited only by t heir access to laboratory equipment Historical Dating -- These is work involving the verification of age and worth of a document or object, sometimes done by a document examiner, and can get as complicated as Carbon-14 dating Fraud Investig ators -- This is work that often overlaps with that of the document examiner and focuses on the money trail and criminal intent Paper & Ink Specialists -- These are public or private experts who date, type, source, and/or catalogue various types of paper, watermarks, ink, printing/copy/fax machines, computer cartridges , etc., using chemical methods Forgery Specialists -- These are public or privat e experts who analyze altered, obliterated, changed, or doctored documents and p hotos using infrared lighting, expensive spectrography equipment, or digital enh ancement techniques Handwriting Analysts -- These are usually psychology experts who assess personality traits from handwriting samples, also called graphologis ts or graphoanalysts; Forensic stylistics refers to the same purpose but by look ing at semantics, spelling, word choice, syntax, and phraseology. Typewriting An alysts -- These are experts on the origin, make, and model used in typewritten m aterial Computer Crime Investigators -- This is an emerging group that relates t o QDE through some common investigative and testimonial procedures It's probably a futile effort to rigidly demarcate and delimit the various areas of Questioned Document Examination as there will always be overlap, evolution, and, perhaps, controversy. WHAT IS A DOCUMENT? /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 3 While we think for the most part of a document as being written on paper, anythi ng that contains and conveys information constitutes a document.. Therefore, mes sages inscribed on cardboard, wood or stone; graffiti on walls, mirror writing o r even body writing are all documents that can be offered as evidence. The writi ng instrument used to produce a document can be a pen, pencil, marker, chisel or spray can -- or a typewriter. A document may be broadly defined as anything tha t bears marks, signs, or symbols which have meaning or conveys a message to some one. Document- Any material which contains marks, symbols or signs, either visib le, partly visible or invisible that my presently or ultimately convey a meaning and message to someone. Major Component of Document: 1. Paper 2. Pen 3. Writing produced by a writer of the used ink Importance of Documents 1. 2. 3. 4. It bri dges a person as a means of communication It record to life to death Serve as re ference for future study It is a means of preserving events or history Kinds of Document Under the Philippine law, the following are the four (4) kinds of document: 1. Public DocumentIn any instrument notarized by a notary public o r competent public official with solemnities required by law. 2. Official Docume ntAny instrument issued by the government or its agents or its officers having t he authority to do so and the offices, which in accordance with their creation, they are authorized to issue. The officers must issue the document in the perfor mance of their duties. 3. Private Document/opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 4 Every deed or instrument executed by a private person without the intervention o f a notary public or any other person legally authorized, by which document, som e disposition or agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth. 4. Commercial Docu mentAny instrument executed in accordance with the code of commerce or any Merca ntile Law, containing disposition of commercial rights or obligations. What is Q uestioned Document? Any document about which some issue has been raised or which is under scrutiny. A questioned document is a document whose authenticity is be ing questioned also called a suspect document. It may be only part of the docume nt is questioned such as a signature. The writing may not even be on paper such as the case of graffiti, we still refer to it as a questioned document. A "quest ioned" document is any signature, handwriting, typewriting, or other mark whose source or authenticity is in dispute or doubtful. Letters, checks, driver licens es, contracts, wills, voter registrations, passports, petitions, threatening let ters, suicide notes, and lottery tickets are the most common questioned document s, although marks on doors, walls, windows, or boards would also be included by definition. "Questioned Documents" are documents that are suspected to be forger ies. Scientific analysis can sometimes determine whether another person's handwrit ing was impersonated, how long ago something was written, whether something was written on a specific typewriter or with a certain pen, or if some writing was a ltered or obliterated. Any object with handwriting or print whose source or auth enticity is in doubt may be referred to as a questioned document. Document exami ners apply knowledge gathered through years of training and experience to recogn ize and compare the individual characteristics of questioned and known authentic writings. For this purpose, the gathering of documents of known authorship or o rigin is critical to the outcome of the examination. The uniqueness of handwriti ng makes this type of physical evidence one of the few definitive individual cha racteristics available. Disputed Document There is an argument or controversy ov er the document, and strictly speaking, this is its true meaning. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com Examination 5 The act of making a close and crucial study of any material, and with questioned documents is the process necessary to discover the facts about them. Various ty pes of examination are undertaken including microscopic, visual, photographic, c hemical, ultraviolet and infrared document examinations. Scope of Document Exami nation Identification of handwriting and signatures Identification of a document as a f orgery Identification of typewriters, check writers, and photocopies Detection o f alterations, additions, deletions, or substitutions Deciphering alterations an d erasures Identification and deciphering of indented writing Comparisons of ink s and identification of type of writing instrument Various Aspects of Question Document Examination 1. Examination of handwritings which includes signature and hand prints for determining of their authorship. 2. Typewriting and type prints for the purpose of determining their sources. 3. Mi scellaneous aspects, such as detection of alteration, decipherment of erased wri tings, restoration of obliteration writings, determination of age document, iden tification of stamps, seal and other authenticating devices, currency bills and coin and the like. Classes of Question Document 1. Document with question signat ure most common. Ex: Commercials or legal papers like checks, notes receipt draf t contact agreements, assignments, will deed, etc. 2. Document containing allege d fraudulent alteration. Ex: Alteration made by erasure addition interlineations or substitution. 3. Holograph documents. Ex: last will or testament. 4. Documen t question as to their age or dates. 5. Document question on the materials used in their production. 6. Document involving typewriting and are investigated or e xamined for purposes of determining or determination. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com Ex: sources, date, etc. 7. Document which may identify a person through handwriting. a. anonymous letter such as: extortion notes, lib elous notes, letter of threat, ransom notes. b. Subscription, registration, appl ication and other miscellaneous writing. 8. Genuine document erroneously attacke d or disputed. Types of Questioned document Examination 1. Criminalistic Examina tion- detection of forgery erasure, alteration and obliteration. 2. Hand writing Identification- finds out who is the author of writing. Development of Hand Wri ting Some basic facts and theory 6 Handwriting originates in the brain when a mental picture of letters and words i s formed. The signal to try to duplicate the mental picture is sent to the arm a nd hand through the muscles and nervous system. The actual output is almost neve r an exact match of the original mental picture. The Physiology of Handwriting P roduction Let's look at how a human learns to use his or her brain and nervous s ystem to write. When a baby is born, it is equipped with certain basic, automati c abilities. It can breathe, cry, suck, and move its limbs randomly. To accompli sh more complex tasks, the baby must learn. Patterns must be formed and stored i n the brain which then will trigger messages to travel through the nervous syste m to the muscles to produce movements (behavior). Smiling is a simple behavior t hat a baby learns early in life. At first, he imitates his parents' smiles, and as this behavior is rewarded by more smiles and hugs from his parents (positive feedback), a pattern is built in the baby's brain. The baby learns to call upon that pattern to produce a smile. Soon, smiling becomes automatic, just like brea thing. In a similar way, the baby learns to reach, grasp, speak and walk. More a nd more complex actions become possible as the baby builds the neural pathways t hat travel between the muscles and the brain via the nervous system. Handwriting is an extremely complex motor task, which is not usually learned until the chil d is 5 or 6 years old and has mastered simpler skills. The motor system controls the movement and posture needed for handwriting by contraction and relaxation o f muscles. Messages go to and from the muscles and brain via the nervous system. During the learning process, the /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 7 senses and muscles send messages (feedback) back to the brain to let it know how the sequence, timing and force applied worked out. The brain makes the adjustme nts needed to give a maximal outcome. Eventually a motor program is formed. This is a set of muscle commands that can be carried out with the correct timing and sequence automatically, without feedback, to give the best possible result. Han dwriting is the result of such stored motor knowledge. Handwriting is distal, me aning that it occurs at the extremities and involves fine motor activity as oppo sed to a skill like walking which is proximal - a large, or gross motor skill. O ne reason individuals find it difficult to simulate the handwriting of others is that to do so successfully requires understanding the essence of the writer's m otor control program and executing a motor control program that yields a very si milar result. Once the basic pattern is established, the muscles and nerves of t he shoulder, arm, hand and fingers become important because they certainly affec t the appearance of the written line. You can think of the body as a machine, a series of levers and fulcrums (pivot points) with each part influencing the work ing of the next part in the link. The strength and flexibility of the muscles, t he position of the pen grip and the overall posture of the writer all affect the output. Variety: The Natural Range of Handwriting Handwriting is a free-form ac tivity, and there are an infinite number of ways to write even the simplest lett er combination. It is highly unlikely that any person will write his or her own name exactly the same way twice in an entire lifetime. Actually, every person ha s a range of handwriting variation determined by his or her physical writing abi lity, training in "penmanship", and other factors. To the experienced expert, a study of known samples of writing can reveal a cluster of individual writing cha racteristics which can allow the expert to identify or exclude an individual as the author of some questioned writing. Handwriting characteristics come in two c ategories: 1. General or Class Characteristics- features that is common to a gro up. 2. Individual Characteristics- A characteristic that is highly personal or p eculiar and is unlikely to occur in other instances. Depending on the cultural s etting (time and place) when writing is learned, entire groups of individuals ma y be taught or trained to write in the same way. When these individuals are firs t learning to write, there are differences in their ability to do the task, and the results are not all the same, but the true individualizing differences appea r over time. As we grow and mature physically /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 8 and personally, our handwriting becomes more of an individual product - through conscious changes made to fit a mental picture of how we want our writing to app ear, or unconsciously. INVESTIGATIVE FOUNDATIONS One of the things important to understand is what the QDE expert is looking for. This deals with the issue of c lass characteristics versus individual characteristics. In a nutshell, CLASS cha racteristics, which are commonly found at crime scenes, describe evidence which can only be associated with a group (like those with certain personality traits) and not a single source. Such evidence can only be used for corroboration or ci rcumstantial purposes, and the evidentiary problem lies in the fact that little or no mathematical models exist to assess probability values with the comparison of class evidence. The expert must say things like "relatively certain" instead of things like "95% of the time" or "an oddsratio of 300:1". INDIVIDUAL charact eristics describe evidence that is associated with a common source and an extrem ely high level of probability. It's not so much that the evidence points directl y at anything or anyone; it's that it draws an inevitable conclusion based on ma thematical calculations or probabilities so high as to defy human comprehension while at the same time substantiated by the opinion of a scientific expert. THEO RETICAL UNDERPINNINGS Among QDE experts, the use is made of many different scien tific principles from a variety of disciplines, and one of the first attempts at basic principles appeared in Albert Osborn's Questioned Documents in 1910, grou nded in handwriting comparison as evidence of individual characteristics (paraph rased below): 1. The most identifying characteristics are those which are most d ivergent from the regular system or national average 2. Repeated characteristics which are inconspicuous should be sought first and given the most weight 3. Reg ular or national system similarities are not alone sufficient to base judgments. 4. It is the combination of particulars, common and uncommon, that identifies 5 . It is impossible to discover how all strange and peculiar characteristics came to be developed /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 6. People do wholly unaccountable things in their spee ch, gestures, and writing 7. An individual characteristic may be the survival of an error overlooked by a teacher 8. Many characteristics are outgrowths or copi es of an at one time admired design 9 The psychological theory of handwriting comparison is developmental. Children le arn to write by copying whatever style of writing is fashionable at the time and taught to them by teachers from textbooks. This style is known as the regular o r national system, and for most of the twentieth century, it was either the Palm er system or the Zaner-Blosser system for cursive. Today, there are many systems , or no system. As the child grows, the act of writing becomes a subconscious ef fort and begins to pick up habitual shapes and patterns that distinguish it from all others. This is most evident with capital letters and numerals. Handwriting has individual characteristics due to it being largely unconscious behavior. Th e unconscious handwriting of two different individuals is never identical. Mecha nical and physical factors, as well as the mental ones, make it highly unlikely that the exact same handwriting occurs in two different people. It's therefore i mportant that samples, exemplars, or specimens (all synonymous terms for documen ts of known origin) be obtained under conditions as similar as possible to the c onditions present at the time the disputed, doubtful, or original (all synonymou s terms for questioned documents) was created. Handwriting Every person has unique handwriting and everyone's handwriting changes over time. A signature from ten years ago will be different from one today. This fact can b e used to fix the date of a document or a forgery. If someone suspects that a do cument was forged, the date that it was signed may not correspond to the appeara nce of the signature at that particular time, especially if the forger took the sample from an earlier time. Character of Handwriting Document experts continually testify to the fact that no two individuals write e xactly alike. Many factors comprise the total character of a person's writing. The early stages of learning handwriting are characterized by a conscious effort to copy standard letter forms. However, as writing skills improve, nerve and motor responses associated with the act of writing become subconscious. The unconscio us handwriting of two different individuals can never be identical. Variations a re expected in angularity, slope, speed, pressure, letter and word spacing, rela tive dimensions of letters, connections, pen movement, writing skill, and finger dexterity. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 10 Spelling, punctuation, phraseology, and grammar can be personal and help to indi vidualize the writer. Furthermore, the writing style of one individual may be al tered beyond recognition by the influence of drugs or alcohol. Note: Handwriting and signature samples are compared side-by-side using visual and often microsco pic analysis of the individual characteristics present. The comparison can inclu de factors such as: height ratios, slant, proportions, pressure, speed and line quality. Note: Only original documents are to be used, if possible, as photocopi es and facsimiles often lose much of the important details present in the origin al. Sometimes individuals may try to disguise their handwriting by: writing very quickly or very slowly adding unnecessary embellishments to letters, heavy pen pressure, or any combination of these Other factors that affect handwriting 1. 2 . 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. injury, illness, medication, drug or alcohol use, stress, th e writing surface, the writing instrument, or Attempted disguise. Other factors to consider include the arrangement of the writing on the paper, s uch as: 1. margins, 2. spacing, /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 3. crowding, 4. insertions, and 5. alignment. 11 Note: It is the job of the document examiner to understand these factors as they might relate to a specific situation. WHAT IS HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION? In th e legal sense, as it applies to civil and criminal litigation, handwriting ident ification seeks to establish the identity or non-identity of a writer. One handw riting should exhibit significantly different writing habits and letter designs (allographs) from another. WHAT IS HANDWRITING? Handwriting is a neuromuscular p rocess that originates in the brain. Some researchers have called it brainwritin g. For litigation purposes it is important to know whether the normal process ha s in any way been impeded either through the use of medication or drugs, or thro ugh illness or extreme old age. Movement Is an important element of handwriting? It embraces all the factors related to t he motion of the writing instrument: skill, speed, freedom, hesitation, rhythm, emphasis and tremor. The manner, in which the writing instrument is moved, that is, by finger, hand, or arm action, may influence each of the factors. Two Kinds of Impulses which Function in the act of writing: 1. Extensor Muscles- a group of muscles that push up the pen upward movement stroke. 2. Flexor Muscle- which push the pen to form the downward strokes. 3. Lumbrical Muscle-The flexor and ex tensor muscle combined with, to form the lateral strokes. Development of Handwri ting The following are the different steps in the development of the person's hand writing. FIRST STEP- When a person first begins to learn the art of writing, pen manship, copybook, forms and blackboard illustrations of the different letters p laced before him. His first step is one of imitation only, by a process of drawi ng, painstaking, laborious slow copying of the letter form. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 12 SECOND STEP- As the person progresses, the matter of form recedes and the focus of attention is centered on the execution of various letters that they are actua lly written instead of drawn. THIRD STEP- The manual operation in the execution of letters after more progress is likewise soon relegated to the subjective mind and the process of writing becomes more or less automatic. Individuality of Han dwriting Writing with all its thousands of peculiarities in combination is the m ost personal and individual that a man does which leaves a record which can be s een an analyzed. This combination of peculiarities is what constitutes individua lity of handwriting. Natural Variation Normal or usual deviations found between repeated specimens of any individuals handwriting or in the product of any typew riter or other record making machines. A variation begins as soon as writing beg ins and continues until each writer writes in the way that means easiest and bes t for him. No two persons write exactly alike and no reproduction of the hand wr iting or handwritten document can duplicate completely all the details of the or igin of writing. The deviation from the copybook forms and modification in mature writing may be caused or done in the following: 1. Simplification- disregarding or discarding u nimportant details and may go as far as to strip the letters to the letter skele ton making it either clear-cut and precise or bare careless. 2. Elaboration- dec orative strokes are added to the plain letter form writing an ornate character. 3. Linear Pattern- writing shows no concern for form so that lines and angles pr edominate and loops and angles are not pronounced. Document Examiner One who stu dies scientifically the details and elements of documents in order to identify t heir source or to discover other facts concerning them. Document examiners are o ften referred to as handwriting experts, but today the work has outgrown this la tter title and involves other problems than merely the examination of handwritin g. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com What is the difference between a handwriting examiner and a questionedforensic document examiner? 13 A handwriting examiner is generally limited in expertise to comparing suspected handwriting or hand printing with known samples to determine authenticity of the questioned document. A questioned document examiner, or forensic document exami ner considers many other aspects of a questioned document in addition to the que stioned text. Some examples are paper folds, staple holes, inks, paper and erasu res to name a few. Is a handwriting expert the same as a questioned document exa miner? The term questioned document examiner is more inclusive than handwriting expert. As the name implies, a handwriting expert limits his or her practice to determining the authenticity of signatures, hand printing and cursive writing. A questioned document examiner does that too, but is also involved in a variety o f other related specialties such as fraudulent photocopy reproductions, inks, id entifying paper, identifying paper clip marks, watermarks and staple holes just to name a few. What is graphology or graphoanalysis? Graphology is loosely defin ed as determining personality and character traits of a person by examining and evaluating their handwriting. This person is known as a graphologist or grapho-a nalyst. Graphoanalysis (grapho-analysis) is used by some attorneys in the jury s election process where it is important to know if a person is a leader or follow er, or if the person is deceitful or trustworthy. Some employers use the same se rvice to evaluate job applicants. In some cases, men/women have their spouse or significant other evaluated for fidelity. Most forensic questioned document exam iners are not involved in graphology. Graphoanalysis is the charting of an indiv idual's personality through the examination and analysis of their handwriting or printing. A Forensic Document Examination produces an opinion regarding the leg itimacy or authenticity of a suspicious document or writing. Should two independ ent examiners with the same level of skill and expertise come to the same opinio n when examining the same questioned document? The simple answer is, "yes." One variable that can affect the opinion is whether both examiners had the same qual ity and quantity of both known and questioned documents available for their exam ination. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com What is a "cut and paste?" 14 This is when a person "cuts" a genuine signature of another person off of a legi timate document and "pastes" it onto a fraudulent document. This "pasted" signat ure is usually taped on the fraudulent document then photocopied. The person who commits this act of forgery now passes the document off as the "original" or le gitimate. Can printing be identified by a document examiner? How about initials? Yes. Handwriting and printing comparisons are based on identifying individual/u nique characteristics of the writer. The more unique the writer's characteristic s, the more likely the writer can be identified. However, if a writer is talente d enough to utilize a copybook style of printing and eliminates all of his/her p ersonal and unique characteristics, then the possibility of identifying the writ er is unlikely. COLLECTING KNOWN DOCUMENTS FOR COMPARISON To help us support our opinion satisfactorily to the court, we need to provide as many valid known doc uments referred to as standards as possible at the beginning of the case. Standa rds also called Exemplars , are legally admissible authentic samples of handwrit ing used for comparison with questioned writing. We use them to enable us to for m an opinion concerning the authenticity of handwriting in dispute. There are tw o kinds of standards: 1. informal which are documents previously executed and kn own to be genuine and 2. formal which are request writing samples. Standards are also called known handwriting samples. Handwriting identification depends on th e quality of the known writing. One of the most important steps in the investiga tion of suspected or disputed writing is the procurement of sufficient genuine w riting samples. Sufficient suitable material facilitates the work of the expert in establishing the master pattern or habits of the writer in order to avoid err ors and inconclusions. A document examiner who must work with insufficient writi ng has a more difficult task and may not be able to draw adequate conclusions fr om the limited material Informal handwriting exemplars are more reliable for com parison purposes than request writing. Since informal writing was written in the normal course of business, it more accurately reflects the subconscious habits of the writer. Self/opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 15 consciousness or conscious-awareness enters into the request writing process. Ev en when there is no attempt to disguise request writing, it may not represent th e normal subconscious habits of the writer. If informal standards are not suffic ient or suitable for comparison purposes, request writing should be taken from t he victim as well as any suspects. Often the only way to obtain comparable handw riting samples is through request writing. There are some disadvantages to reque st writing that must be taken into consideration. DISADVANTAGES OF REQUEST WRITI NG SAMPLES 1. Request writing taken after the incident may not be as close to th e date of the questioned writing as informal documents executed in the normal co urse of business. 2. Courts consider request writing taken after the fact as sel f-serving and may not allow it. 3. Some writers will deliberately disguise their request handwriting. 4. The person taking the request writing needs to take thi s into consideration. 5. It may be difficult or impossible to duplicate the writ ing environment of the suspect document in order to obtain comparable documents. 6. The writer may not be available for request writing or circumstances may hav e caused changes that make it impossible to obtain similar request writing sampl es. COLLECTING INFORMAL STANDARDS Standards must be suitable for comparison with the questioned writing. Since handwriting can be found on many different types of surfaces, comparison materials should, when possible, duplicate the condition s under which the questioned document was executed. While this is usually done w ith request writing, it may be harder to locate informal writing samples that me et these criteria. Locating material to be used as evidence may require consider able effort on the part of the investigator. Comparison materials should, when p ossible, be written under the same conditions under which the questioned documen ts were executed. While this is the standard method of taking request writing, i t is impossible to control the writing environment of informal writing samples. Try to obtain signatures that are similar to the questioned signature. 1. If the questioned signature is in ink, get signatures in ink, 2. if it is in pencil; g et documents written in pencil for comparison. 3. If the questioned document is on lined paper, find documents written on lined paper. 4. If the questioned docu ment contains handprinting, collect documents that are handprinted. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 16 Where no similar documents are available, try to locate documents whose authenti city can be verified such as canceled checks that have been accepted by a bank. Other documents executed in the regular course of business are also suitable. Th e date of the questioned writing must be taken into consideration when looking f or suitable comparable documents. While an adult's handwriting may remain consta nt for many years, writing habits normally change over time so that an outdated standard may be unsatisfactory for comparison purposes. All writing samples are not of equal value and some may be of no value at all. When gathering handwritin g for comparison purposes, it is necessary to keep in mind that various factors cause changes in handwriting. Age and illness may lead to the deterioration of w riting skills, which can be an important consideration in a disputed will case. A teenager's handwriting may change drastically in as short a time frame as a ye ar. A drug addict may undergo a radical change in handwriting as his addiction t akes over. Handwriting samples taken prior to the addiction are not going to acc urately reflect later writing. Handwriting changes gradually over a person's lif etime but some factors can cause drastic changes in handwriting in a short perio d of time, therefore it is essential to compare handwriting from a similar time frame and under similar conditions. Trauma such as stroke, illness, or loss of a spouse; or medication, or substance abuse can affect handwriting. If a person's writing has changed drastically around the time the questioned document was exe cuted, there may not be comparable material available. Ideally, writing executed around the date of the questioned material should be used for comparison purpos es, some dated shortly before and after the date of the questioned material. Wha t time frame is considered suitable? Documents executed within two to three year s are most suitable. If these are not available, documents dating further from t he questioned material may be used. Do not rely on present-day writing exclusive ly, if possible. Make sure the handwriting exemplars are not in dispute and that they can be authenticated. Any uncontradicted testimony of competent eyewitness es who saw the execution of the writing can be used to verify its authenticity. Courts accept the testimony of the author admitting genuineness or someone to wh om the author has admitted genuineness. The testimony of a person who received w riting from the author and acted on it is also valid, though not necessarily acc urate. Documents executed in the normal course of business are frequently used f or comparison purposes, which include negotiable instruments such as checks, con tracts, and other business documents. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 17 Document examiners have given erroneous conclusions based on forged standards. W hen the standards have been fabricated by the same writer as the forged material , an opinion of authenticity based on false information will occur. HOW MANY SAM PLES OF HANDWRITING ARE NEEDED? The type of case determines the number of standa rds that the document examiner needs for comparison with the questioned document s. Always try to collect as many samples as possible because it is more importan t to have suitable undisputed samples than a large quantity of little comparable value. Cases have been won in court using a single known signature to support t he authenticity of a questioned document. One signature is sufficient when all t he characteristics of handwriting match. When proving that an individual did not write a questioned document, it is necessary to obtain a larger range of writin g. Ideally, the average would be twenty to twenty-five signatures and four to fi ve pages of handwriting preferably written at different times. However, due to t he practicalities involved, In practice, we often only receive about half of the that number to work with. More known documents are needed if the writer has a w ide range of variation or an oversimplified signature, while only a few signatur es would suffice if the writer is consistent. An oversimplified signature is one that contains few changes of direction and is usually an illegible scrawl. Over simplified signatures are easier to imitate than more complex signatures that co ntain more changes of direction and more stylized letter forms. When a questione d signature shows obvious signs of forgery not present in the known signature, o ne known signature should be enough to prove nongenuineness. Forged writing ofte n contains tremor or has a drawn look. A single signature would be sufficient to determine the facts when the questioned signatures are written with a higher sk ill level than the suspected writer could execute. However, it is better to have more standards whenever possible. The document examiner must evaluate the stand ards to determine if he or she has sufficient suitable material to render an acc urate opinion. SUITABLE STANDARDS Cancelled checks, contracts, applications, and business letters make suitable exemplars or standards. The writing can be prope rly identified, the date can be verified, and the habits of the writer can be st udied. Additional standards may be needed if the words on the disputed writing d o not match the standards. Ideally, original writing should be available for the scrutiny of the document examiner. Original writing is always better than a pho tocopy or a facsimile. If it is /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 18 impossible to obtain original documents, a first generation photocopy should be supplied. The original documents should be requested whenever the adverse party supplies a photocopy. Intermediate tones are almost always lost in a photocopy b ecause it aims to secure the greatest possible contrast. Subsequent generations of photocopies may drop sufficient detail, rendering them unusable. Documents si milar in nature will make the best standards. For example, contracts should be c ompared with contracts, and cancelled checks with cancelled checks. Capital lett ers should be compared with capital letters, lower case letters should be compar ed with lower case and unconnected lower case with unconnected lower case. You a lso need to compare documents using the same kind of writing instrument for exam ple, ink with ink, and pencil with pencil. Try to find writing on similar docume nts. People often have more than one style signature depending on the document b eing executed. Cheques may be executed in a more careless manner than wills and contracts. There are many characteristics of handwriting that can be compared be sides letter forms and connecting strokes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Document exam iners compare line quality, pressure patterns, size and proportions, spacing, sl ant, baseline, and utilization of space. Document examiners can compare similar letters such as N and M, and P and R; circle letters and loops can be compared. Therefore, all available handwriting samples should be given to a document exami ner. While it may be possible to make a match with only a few standards, the mor e standards available the better. Collect as many samples of handwriting, includ ing signatures, as possible. It is necessary to collect enough handwriting sampl es to enable the expert to render a professional opinion. How much is enough? En ough would be sufficient standards to eliminate any other writer as the author o f a document. These conditions are an essential part of what are called standard s of comparison: 1. Care must be taken to avoid samples which are deliberately w ritten in a crude, unnatural way, or so well thought out as to disguise the writ er's natural style /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 19 2. A sufficient number of samples must be taken, several pages if necessary, ove r and over again, to establish multiple (more than one) comparisons of single ch aracteristics or combinations of common and uncommon characteristics 3. Samples should be taken within two or three years of the disputed writing in order to ru le out changes in style that may have occurred over time or with age 4. The samp le should include some dictated text, words, or phrases contained in the origina l document (but under no circumstances should the writer be shown the questioned document) 5. Pen and paper, as well as writing position, should consist of the same conditions that existed at the time the questioned document was written (if these facts are known) TECHNICO-LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS Legally, the conditions in place that produced the specimen serve to authenticate it as a standard. Authen tication, or positively establishing the origin of known documents, is required for any piece of documentary evidence. This can be accomplished by the testimony of witnesses who saw the original writing produced, by the testimony of persons familiar with the writing, or (in some states) by a post litem motam courtroom demonstration where the writer gives a sample which is checked within an hour to a day or more by a QDE expert. Technically, even the police could extract authe nticated samples since neither Fourth nor Fifth Amendment rights apply to handwr iting samples. In addition, some samples are self-authenticating -- as in any wr iting on legal forms, business correspondence, responses to communication from o thers, and some "ancient" documents (over 30 years old). Irregularities in the a uthentication (or discovery) process of a handwriting case are NOT grounds for r eversible error. The accused may get a new trial, but they are not exculpated or found innocent by most courtroom errors. Refusal by the accused to give a handw riting sample is presumptive evidence of guilt. There's no right to remain silen t when it comes to handwriting. A potential problem exists with signatures. Peop le usually have three (3) different signatures: (1) a formal one, used on import ant documents; (2) a routine one, used on regular correspondence; and (3) an inf ormal one, used for jotting quick notes. Other circumstances affect writing such as: 1. age, 2. arthritis, /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 3. 4. 5. 6. emotional distress, medication, intoxicati on, and corrective vision. 20 Note: It's difficult to tell handedness, gender, and age from unknown samples. Q DE experts must consider all these things, and make an informed judgement (usual ly in consultation with an investigator or attorney) based on their familiarity with handwriting dynamics (e.g., appearance, laborious movements, rhythm). With an impairment like arthritis, for example, the writing function may become more of a conscious than subconscious effort, making for a more complex case. However , a paraphrasing of Larry Miller's (1987) indicia drawn from a review of the for gery literature might provide useful guidelines when dealing with impaired or de liberately deceptive writing: Line Quality Irregular, laborious, shaky, lack of rhythm Size/Proportion Larger, wider, higher, inconsistent, different spacing af ter caps Pen lifts Angle/Slant Pen Pressure Frequent lifts off paper Greater tha n 5 degree change, other-hand slanting Heavier than usual Circle formation More teardrop or egg-shaped, frequent counterclockwise formatio ns Retouching formal signature used, often retracing strokes, foreign marks pres ent Loop formation Wider spacing between, more squared, shorter, or broken loops Str oke formation Alignment Diacritics Begin/end strokes Wider M's and W's, more squ ared or wedge-shaped stokes Change in baseline habits, more downward slants from baseline Heavier t-crossings and i-dots, position placement changes Heavier pre ssure, blobbed, vertical position change or slanting TESTIFYING IN COURT /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com There's quite a bit of divergent terminology found in court testimony. The most common "conclusions" are really qualified opinions. Al though the science of QDE has its origins in Bertillon's points of comparison me thod, there's no set standard, such as 11 or 12 "matches" as with fingerprinting . Instead, it's up to each expert to say what constitutes a sufficient number. T he most commonly used phrases are "significant similarities", "most probably", o r "very probably". An expert opinion need not be based on absolute certainty. A QDE expert can expect to be on the stand a long time, as direct, cross, redirect , and recross trial procedures play out. The background and integrity of the exp ert as well as the quality of the evidence determines both admissibility and imp act. 21 Court-recognized expertise as a QDE expert is not something that can be achieved through self-study alone. An old common law rule that isn't recognized much any more says that one can become an expert by study without practice or by practice without study. With QDE, the courts (State v. Evans 1991) have decided that a p erson needs both: study and practice -- that is, a period of training (internshi p or apprenticeship is better than a self-study course) and a period of experien ce (twenty some previous cases worked on is a good average). In addition, there' s a rather large literature base to become familiar with, and a good number of j ournals, periodicals and newsletters. CASES IN WHICH NO STANDARDS ARE NEEDED The re are some cases in which no Standards are needed to prove spuriousness. Since no one can write his signature exactly the same way twice, identical signatures are generally evidence of non-genuineness. This would include traced forgeries, scanned signatures, or even freehand simulations, as well as cut and paste signa tures. Some writers use signature stamps and autopens as legitimate signatures m aking it is necessary to determine the nature of the signatures before an opinio n of non-genuineness is given. Signs of forgery are indicative of nongenuineness . Documents that contain indications of tracing can be identified without known signatures. Evidence of tracing the signature would be a groove or guideline alo ng the signature line or residue of pencil or carbon. When a questioned signatur e matches the handwriting of another writer, identification can be made that tha t individual penned the writing. In this case, no known signatures of the victim are needed for comparison. Writing of the impaired or illiterate can be identif ied as spurious if the questioned writing exceeds the ability /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 22 of the known writer. A high skill level signature of an impaired individual can be rejected without comparison documents. REQUEST WRITING Request Writings are h andwriting samples made at the request and under the supervision of solicitors, the police, document examinations and investigators for the purpose of compariso n with questioned writing. COMPUTER CRIME DEVELOPMENTS Computer forensics is use d in many areas. In civil law for discrimination and harassment cases, by insura nce companies for workman's compensation cases, by corporations for trade secret misappropriations, and in criminal law mostly for drug and embezzlement recordkeeping and child pornography. As mentioned previously, this is a loosely relate d, developing specialty area. It is most closely related to typewriting comparis on. The FBI has, for many years, maintained typewriter databases, ink databases, copy toner databases, paper databases, and watermarks (which sometimes change e very year). Private examiners do not have the advantage of large databases avail able to government examiners. Computers and computer printouts also leave a trai l that can be followed, whether it's from something simple like how full or dry a printer ink cartridge is, to the various alignments and misalignments of dot m atrix and laser printers, to fiber analysis of the paper used, computer crime sp ecialists utilize some of the same age-old techniques that typewriting analysts used as well as other investigative methods. A computer forensics expert will ha ve experience on a wide variety of hardware and software. Unlike paper evidence, computer evidence exists in many forms, with earlier, alternate, and backup ver sions of each and every file somewhere on the hard drive and frequently unknown to the user. The process of examining a suspect computer system is as follows: Secure/protect the system from further use, damage, or corruption Discover all f iles, including hidden and encrypted ones Recover all (or as many as possible) d eleted files Reveal all hidden, temporary, and swap files Access all protected o r encrypted files Analyze all unallocated or "slack" spaces on a disk Print out an overall analysis of the system, listing all files Formulate an opinion of the system layout, file structure, and any attempts to hide, delete, protect, or en crypt information Microscopes and other Tools of the Trade /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 23 The Microscope: Through the Looking Glass The most important tool a document examiner has is his or her own vision, but in this section and the laboratory tour section we will consider the external tool s which enable the examiner to see, evaluate and record more than is apparent to the unaided eye. These tools can be grouped into 6 categories: 1. basic measuring tools 2. magnification (magnifiers/microscopes) 3. light sour ces 4. special instruments 5. photography equipment 6. computer equipment 1. BASIC MEASURING TOOLS /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 24 Basic measuring tools include metric rulers, calipers for fine measurements and various glass alignment plates such as the one illustrated below which allow com parison and measurement of angles, height, width and spacing of handwriting and typewriting. A tool for both measurement and magnification is a "reticle" which is a magnifie r eyepiece containing an engraved measurement scale which allows the examiner to precisely measure what is viewed under the microscope. 2. MAGNIFICATION - Magnifiers/Microscopes Document examiners use a wide range of magnification equipment. Handheld magnifi ers (sold here by QDEWill) enlarge the material from 2 to 10 times (magnificatio n powers of 2X to 10X) and may have lighting abilities as well to brighten the f ield of view. To see details more closely, there are many types of microscopes. A binocular, or stereo, microscope is comfortable to use because, as the name im plies, there are 2 eyepieces and the viewer focuses with both eyes. In addition, a microscope can have a third viewing tube which allows a still or video camera to be attached for "through the microscope" photography or videography. Digital microscopes combine optics for magnification with digital capture technology to allow the user to view the magnified image on the monitor instead of or in addi tion to viewing it through the microscope eyepieces. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 25 It might seem that the more powerful the microscope in terms of magnification, t he better, but for the task of handwriting examination, this is not the case. Mo st handwriting examination is done at powers of 10X to 50X (the subject is enlar ged 10 to 50 times). When magnification is higher, the field of vision is so nar row that the object viewed loses relevance. In the example below, my signature i s shown at 10X, 15X, 20X and 25X. It is a good idea to start out with a low power when first examining a portion o f a document and then to zoom in closer to the area you want to inspect. A type of microscope that is particularly useful in document examination is the comparison microscope. Two documents can be viewed side-by-side and the images c an be positioned so that they appear to overlay each other. By using a different color of filter on each document, the examiner can then see a third color in th ose areas where the two segments being compared overlap each other. Below you se e the results when two of my signatures are viewed under the comparison microsco pe at 15x. The interplay of colored light makes this image a bit confusing to th e first time viewer, but essentially you are seeing a composite of two signature s (one viewed through a red filter and one viewed through a green filter) in whi ch the black line segments are the places where the two signatures would coincid e if the signatures were really on top of each other. 10X 15X 20X 25X /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 26 One enjoyable fringe benefit of being a document examiner is recreational use of the microscope. Over the years I have looked at and photographed lots of intere sting things through the looking glass. Below are 6 reasonably common items phot ographed at varying powers. See if you can guess what they are. 3. LIGHT SOURCES Light sources include transmitted light, long and short wave ultraviolet light, and infrared light. Transmitted light is simply light from behind a document. Th is is best provided by a light box which has a color corrected flourescent type light bulb. The document can be laid upon the box and the light from behind the document makes it possible to see details not otherwise visible. 4. SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS UV and IR light are used to differentiate between inks and papers, and to reveal obliterated materials. Photography using specific films and filters can be used in conjunction with these special lights to reveal and record information. Thes e techniques do not always lead to answers, but they are the best initial approa ch because they are nondestructive methods. For more information and a demonstra tion of this equipment, take a tour of my document examination laboratory. 5. PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 27 The second important use of photography in document examination is for recording and presenting evidence. A critical part of the job of the document examiner is to present evidence to the parties involved in a document dispute. The examiner must be able to state and explain his or her opinion, but the best service is g iven when the examiner goes the final step of illustrating testimony with visual evidence. Photo equipment is likely to include a 35mm SLR camera, digital camer a, copy stand, filters, extension tubes, lenses, and other items. 6. COMPUTER EQUIPMENT The last category, computer equipment is a recent and diverse category. Of cours e the computer is an essential aid to anyone who writes reports, runs a business , and handles finances. But in document examination there is a lot more to do wi th a computer. A whole new area of potential document fraud has developed around the computer. Just as the examiner once had to divert from the study of handwri ting to learn about a new machine, the typewriter, now he must learn about the c omputer and the output devices that are associated with it. Terms about Forensic Document Examination ALLOGRAPH Letter design: From Greek: a llos = other and graph = the pattern traced on the writing surface to represent a letter. Any style of the 26 letters of the English alphabet and its combinatio ns. ALTERATION: An unauthorized operation performed on a document after it has b een validated that changes its language or legal meaning, specifically the terms in a negotiable instrument, without knowledge or consent of the parties involve d. APEX: Also peak. The upper or lower junction of letters such as "A" and "M", or "V" and "W". ARCADE: The rounded top stroke forming an "m" or "n" in cursive writing; a writing style where this formation predominates. ABNORMAL LETTER DESI GN :A letter design which falls outside the normal range of variation for a writ er and may be introduced as a disguise ACCIDENTAL :A feature within a handwritin g which fall outside the normal range /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com of variation of a writer and is not intentional 28 ALIGNMENT :The positioning of the handwriting with respect to any printed lines AMPERSAND :The character representing the word `and' (&) ANGULAR HANDWRITING :Handwr iting which is characterized by sharp points and lacking roundness ARCH :A round ed upper portion of a letter design arrangement The positioning of handwriting o n the page Assisted Signature- A signature made by a writer whose hand is suppor ted by another person during the act of writing (Another term for guided hand si gnature) AUTHOR :The writer of a piece of handwriting BALLPEN :A writing instrum ent containing viscous ink, housed in a refill, which is transferred to the page via a rotating ball housing The end of a ballpen which supports and retains the ball BLOCK CAPITALS :A writing style in which all of the letter designs are cap ital letters BLUNT ENDING :The ending of a letter design where ink has accumulat ed as a result of a hesitation BONA FIDE: "In good faith." An agreement made in good faith, without fraud or deceit. A "gentlemen's agreement," usually unwritte n, that is not legally enforceable. BUBBLE WRITING :A term used to describe the overly-rounded handwriting of adolescent girls (USA) BURR STRIATIONS :Striation marks visible in ballpen ink lines and produced by burrs or other extraneous mat erial on the ball housing which prevent the ink in the refill from contacting th e ball surface CARBON COPIES :Copies which are produced by incorporating an inte rmediate sheet of carbon paper directly below the page written upon and in conta ct with the page used to transfer the carbon image of the handwriting CARBON PAP ER :A thin sheet of paper impregnated on one side with carbon or a waxy dye CHAR ATERISTIC :A feature within a letter design or handwriting /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 29 CLASS CHARACTERISTIC :A feature within a particular handwriting style COLLECTED SPECIMENS :Handwriting specimens (not written for the purposes of an investigati on) obtained from personal papers, diaries, bank accounts, driving license appli cations and other sources CONCLUSIVE OPINION :A strong opinion that is not quali fied. For instance In my opinion, Rolf Berzel is the writer CONNECTING STROKES : Handwritten strokes that join letters together CONTEMPORANEOUS SPECIMEN :Specime n handwriting made around the time as the disputed handwriting CONTROL OF PEN :T he ability to move and manipulate the writing instrument COPY :A reproduction of a handwriting or signature COPYBOOK :A writing book of letters printed for imit ation and used in schools as a teaching aid COURSE-OF-BUSINESS SPECIMENS :Anothe r term for collected specimens CROWDING :The effect of placing handwriting in a confined space CURSIVE :A style of writing which is flowing and the letters are joined by connecting strokes CURVATURE :The roundness of a letter design CHARACT ER: Any written or typed single letter, number, mark or symbol. CURSIVE: Continu ous writing which connects letters with one another. The design of the letters a nd how they connect is based on a system taught in schools. DEPOSITION: Out of c ourt testimony of a witness under oath that is usually written down by a court r eporter for later use in court. Decipher- To read or interpret difficult handwri ting Deviation- A differing from a standard form Diacritic- A mark (accents, ced illas, i dots etc) attached to letters /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com Difference- A dissimilarity Disconnected script- A sty le of writing in which the letter designs are representations of printed letters and is characterised by the absence of connecting strokes Disguise- To change t he appearance of handwriting Disputed handwriting - Handwriting which is called into question Distinctive - Marking or expressing difference; characteristic Dis tinctive feature- A feature which is considered unusual or unique 30 ESDA: Eletrostatic Detection Apparatus -- used to detect indented impressions le ft from writing on an overlying page (also IMED). Evidential Value -The strength or weight of evidence Exemplar - An example; a type Expert- A specialist; a sci entific or professional witness Eyelet- A small loop in a letter design FORENSIC : An argumentative exercise that permits the document examiner to explain her fi ndings to the court in a formal manner, consecutively and logically. FORGERY: Th e alteration of an instrument (document, writing) from its genuine state. Forger - Someone who forges (counterfeits for the purposes of fraud) Flourish- A figur e made by a bold stroke of the pen; to make ornamental strokes with the pen Flue ncy -The quality of being fluent Fluent - Smooth, easy, graceful Fountain pen- A writing instrument in which liquid ink is held in a reservoir freehand forgeryA forgery, usually a signature, which has been written either from memory or by copying (but not by tracing) /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 31 GRAPHEME: The smallest identifiable unit of writing; not divisible; the abstract concept of a letter of the alphabet (Huber & Headrick: Handwriting Identificati on Facts and Fundamentals, 1999). Guided Hand Signature- A signature made by a w riter whose hand is supported by another person during the act of writing. Anoth er term for assisted signature. HARPOON: A short, sharp-angled writing impulse a t the end, or sometimes at the beginning, of a regular stroke. It occurs involun tarily and is indicative of speed. Sometimes also called a "tick". HIATUS: A gap , or interruption in what should be a continuously written line. The writing ins trument is lifted from the paper momentarily. The space can be very noticeable o r so minute that it can only be detected under a microscope. HOOK: It frequently ends a letter and the stroke swings upward in a soft curve. A downward or sidew ays hook is also possible. Handwriting Expert- A specialist in the comparison an d identification of handwriting Hesitation- A slowing-down or stopping of during the act of writing Holograph- A document wholly written by the person from whom it proceeds Illegible handwriting- Handwriting which cannot be read IlliterateUnable to read and write Indented writing- The impressions of writing produced on an underlying page by the pressure of the writing instument during the act of writing Initial stroke- The first stroke of a letter design Ink line- The mark produced when ink is transferred to paper from a writing instrument Impressed wr iting - Another term for indented writing Letter design- The structure and form of a handwritten letter Letter spacing- The distance between handwritten letters Line habit - Another term for alignment Line quality- A term which describes th e appearance of the written line in relation /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com to its smoothness. A writing which displays good line quality is fluently written with few hesitations. Line spacing- The distance bet ween lines of handwriting Loop- A curve in the written line which crosses back o ver itself Lower case- A printing term which describes the small letters in a pr int style Microscope- An instrument for magnifying objects Natural handwritingHandwriting which is not disguised Natural variation- The variation of letter de signs which occurs in natural handwriting NCR copies- Copy documents which are p roduced without the use of carbon paper (NCR stands for No Carbon Required) Nonrequest specimens- Another term for collected specimens and course-ofbusiness sp ecimens Opposite hand- The hand not normally used by a writer. Another term for unaccustomed hand. Palimpsest - A manuscript in which old writing has been rubbe d out to make room for new Pen- A writing instrument which contains ink Pen pres sure- The force with which the pen indents the page during the act of writing Pe ncil- A writing instrument which usually deposits graphite on the page PenliftA separation of the handwritten line which occurs when the pen is lifted from th e page Penmanship- A term which describes the ability of a person to write 32 Personal characteristic-A feature pertaining to an person's writing habits and not derived from a learned copybook style Photocopy- A copy of a document, usually produced by an electrostatic process Photocopied handwriting- An image of handwr iting which has been produced by a photocopy process /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 33 Pictorial similarity- A feature which looks similar to another one on casual ins pection but may differ when examined more closely Porous-point pen- Another term for fibre tip pen and felt tip Pen proportion- The relationship of one thing to another in magnitude Punctuation- The act of dividing sentences by points or ma rks; for example, a semi-colon, a comma or a full stop. Qualified opinion- An op inion that is not entirely conclusive Questioned handwriting- Another term for d isputed writing Range of variation- The extent of the variation of the letter de signs found within a handwriting Ratio- A similar term for proportion Relationsh ip- The state or mode of being related Relative height -The height of a characte r when considered in relation to another Relative width- The width of a characte r when considered in relation to another Request specimens- Specimens of handwri ting that are specifically taken for the purposes of an investigation Retrace- A stroke formed by moving the writing instrument back over a preceeding stroke du ring the act of writing Retouching- An adding of extra strokes or touches to a l etter design Rollerball- A writing instument containing fluid ink which is trans ferred to the paper via a rotating ball Rubric- A fluorish after a signature; a handwritten entry originally one in red Sample handwriting- Another term for spe cimen handwriting Scribble- To write badly, carelessly or worthlessly Significan t difference- A difference which has significant evidential value Significant si milarity- A similarity which has significant evidential value similar /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com Corresponding in shape Similarity- A feature of a hand writing which corresponds to another Simulated forgery- A forgery, usually a sig nature, which resembles a genuine signature and has been written freehand SlantAnother term for slope Slurred handwriting- A handwriting that is devoid of str ucture and is indistinct Spacing- The distance between, for example, letter desi gns or words 34 Specimen handwriting- Handwriting used for comparison purposes with disputed han dwriting Straightedge- An instrument, usually a ruler, used by some writers to g ive handwriting a regular appearance on the page Style characteristics- Handwrit ing characteristics learned from copybooks Terminal stroke- The handwritten stro ke at the end of a word Traced forgery- A forgery, usually a signature, produced by a tracing method Tracing- A traced forgery Tremor- A shakiness or quivering observed within a writing line Trough- A rounded, low point in a letter design U naccustomed hand- Another term for opposite hand Unfamiliar script- A handwritte n script in a different language to that of the reader Unique feature- A feature of a person's writing which is very significant and would not occur in the handwr itings of other people Upper case- A printing term which describes the large (or capital) letters in a print style Variation- A departure from the usual word sp acing The distance between words in a handwritten text. /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com INTERNET RESOURCES American Society of Questioned Docu ment Examiners Bart Bagget's MyHandwriting.com Free Handwriting Analysis Softwar e Graphology, Graphoanalysis, and Handwriting Analysis Handwriting Analysts Grou p Judd Robbins Computer Forensics Website Norwitch Document Laboratory Home Page Preparing for a Daubert Hearing (with Handwriting Evidence) Questioned Document Examination Page of Emily J. Will Speckin Forensic Laboratories 35 PRINTED RESOURCES Brunelle, R. (1982). "Questioned Document Examination" in R. S aferstein (ed.) Forensic Science Handbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Dines, J. (1998). Document Examiner Handbook. NY: Pantex. Ellen, D. (2005). Scie ntific Examination of Documents, 3e. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Huber, R. & A. Headr ick. (1999). Handwriting Identification. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Kelly, J. & Lind blom, B. (Eds.) (2006). Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents, 2e. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Koppenhaver, K. (1991). The Business of Document Examinat ion. MO: Forensic Publishers of Joppa. Miller, L. (1984). "Bias Among Forensic D ocument Examiners: A Need for Procedural Change" Journal of Police Science & Adm inistration 12:407-11. Miller, L. (1987). "Forensic Examination of Arthritic Imp aired Writings" Ibid 15:51-55. Moenssens, A., J. Starrs, C. Henderson & F. Inbau . (1995). Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases. Westbury, NY: Foundat ion Press. Osborn, S. & A. (1991). Questioned Document Problems: The Discovery & Proof of the Facts. NJ: Patterson Smith Saudek, R. (1978). Psychology of Handwr iting. NY: Books for Professionals. Last updated: Sept. 30, 2006 Not an official webpage of APSU, copyright restrictions apply, see Megalinks in Criminal Justic e O'Connor, T. (Date of Last Update at bottom of page). In Part of web cited (Wind ows name for file at top of browser), MegaLinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved f rom http://www.apsu.edu/oconnort/rest of URL accessed on today's date. HOLY CHILD COLLEGES OF BUTUAN COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY HANDWRITING COMPARISON /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 36 I. QUESTIONED SPECIMEN A. SIGNATURE KNOWN SPECIMEN II. DISCUSSION\FINDINGS: _______________________________________________________ ________________ _______________________________________________________________ ________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______ ________________________________________________________________ _______________ ________________________________________________________ _______________________ ________________________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________________ ________ III. CONCLUSIONS: ____________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________ ___________________________________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___ ________ Date Examined:_________________ Owned by :_________________ _______________________________ Forensic Document Examiner HOLY CHILD COLLEGES O F BUTUAN COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 37 HANDWRITING COMPARISON I. QUESTIONED SPECIMEN A. LETTERS Q1_________________________ Q2________________ _________ Q3_________________________ Q4_________________________ Q5____________ _____________ Q6_________________________ Q7_________________________ Q8________ _________________ Q9_________________________ Q10________________________ II. DI SCUSSION\FINDINGS: 1. __________________________________________________________ _______ _________________________________________________________________ ______ ___________________________________________________________ ___ 2. _____________ ____________________________________________________ ___________________________ ______________________________________ _________________________________________ ________________________ ___ 3. ________________________________________________ _________________ ______________________________________________________________ ___ _________________________________________________________________ ___ 4. ___ ______________________________________________________________ _________________ ________________________________________________ K1__________________________ K2 __________________________ K3__________________________ K4______________________ ____ K5__________________________ K6__________________________ K7_______________ ___________ K8__________________________ K9__________________________ K10_______ __________________ KNOWN SPECIMEN /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 38 _________________________________________________________________ ___ 5. _______ __________________________________________________________ _____________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________________________ ______________________________ ___ 6. __________________________________________ _______________________ ________________________________________________________ _________ _________________________________________________________________ ___ 7. _________________________________________________________________ ___________ ______________________________________________________ _________________________ ________________________________________ ___ 8. ________________________________ _________________________________ ______________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____ ___ 9. _________________________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________ _______________ __________________________________________________ ___ 10. _____________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________________ ________________ ___ III. CONCLUSIONS: _________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________________ ______________________ _________________________________________________________ ______________ _________________________________________________________________ ______ _______________________________________________________________________ _ ____ Date Examined:_________________ Owned by :_________________ /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 39 _______________________________ Forensic Document Examiner HOLY CHILD COLLEGES O F BUTUAN COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY HANDWRITING COMPARISON I. QUESTIONED SPECIMEN C. WORDS Q1_________________________ Q2__________________ _______ Q3_________________________ Q4_________________________ Q5______________ ___________ Q6_________________________ Q7_________________________ Q8__________ _______________ Q9_________________________ Q10________________________ II. DISC USSION\FINDINGS: 1. ____________________________________________________________ ________ ____________________________________________________________________ __ __________________________________________________________________ _____________ _______________________________________________________ ____ K1_________________ _________ K2__________________________ K3__________________________ K4__________ ________________ K5__________________________ K6__________________________ K7___ _______________________ K8__________________________ K9_________________________ _ K10_________________________ KNOWN SPECIMEN /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 40 2. ____________________________________________________________________ ________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _________________________________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________________ ____ 3. _________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ ________________________ _______________________________________________________ _____________ __________________________________________________________________ __ ____ 4. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________ _________________________________________________________ ______________________ ______________________________________________ ____ 5. _________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________________________ _____________________ __________________________________________________________ __________ ____ 6. _____________________________________________________________ _______ ____________________________________________________________________ ___ _________________________________________________________________ ______________ ______________________________________________________ ____ 7. _________________ ___________________________________________________ ____________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________________ _____________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________ ____ 8. _____________________________________________________ _______________ ________________________________________________________________ ____ ____________________________________________________________________ /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 41 ____________________________________________________________________ ____ 9. ___ _________________________________________________________________ ______________ ______________________________________________________ _________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ ____ 10. ______________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ________ ____________________________________________________________________ __ __ III. CONCLUSIONS: ___________________________________________________________ ____________ ___________________________________________________________________ ____ _______________________________________________________________________ ___ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________________________________ ____________________ __________ Date Examined:_________________ Owned by :______ ___________ _______________________________ Forensic Document Examiner /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 42 HOLY CHILD COLLEGES OF BUTUAN COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY HANDWRITING COMPARISON I. QUESTIONED SPECIMEN A. SIGNATURE KNOWN SPECIMEN II. DISCUSSION\FINDINGS: _______________________________________________________________________ ________ _______________________________________________________________ ________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ _______________________________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________ /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 43 _______________________________________________________________________ _______ III. CONCLUSIONS: After a thorough examination of the questioned signature, it i s the examiner's opinion that the known specimen (K1) and the questioned specime n (Q1) were written by the same person. Date Examined:_________________ Owned by :_________________ _______________________________ Forensic Document Examiner HOLY CHILD COLLEGES O F BUTUAN COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY HANDWRITING COMPARISON I. QUESTIONED SPECIMEN KNOWN SPECIMEN WORDS: /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 44 II. DISCUSSION\FINDINGS 1. _____________________________________________________ _______________ ________________________________________________________________ ____ ____________________________________________________________________ ______ ______________________________________________________________ ____ 2. _________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________ ________________________________________________ _______________________________ _____________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________ ____ /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 45 3. ____________________________________________________________________ ________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________ _________________________________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________________ ____ 4. _________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ ________________________ _______________________________________________________ _____________ __________________________________________________________________ __ ____ 5. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________ _________________________________________________________ ______________________ ______________________________________________ ____ 6. _________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________________________ _____________________ __________________________________________________________ __________ ____ III. CONCLUSIONS: _______________________________________________________________________ ________ _______________________________________________________________ ________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ _______________________________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________________________ _______________________ ________________________________________________________ _______________ ________________________________________________________________ _______ _______________________________________________________________________ __________ /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc

www.rico_musong@yahoo.com 46 Specimen Handwriting taken from:_______________________________ Date taken:_____ ______________________________________________ Time taken:______________________ _____________________________ _______________________________ Forensic Document Examiner /opt/scribd/conversion/tmp/scratch5587/41852287.doc