HANDWRITING A N A LY S I S , F O R G E RY, A N D COUNTERFEITI NG

HANDWRITING A N A LY S I S , F O R G E RY, A N D COUNTERFEITI NG

YOU NEED THE Everything is available up front if needed. FOLLOWING: A sheet of lined paper A pen A transparency from the table up front The worksheet from Tuesday A handout with apples written all over it.

COPY THE FOLLOWING ON LINED PAPER HOWEVER YOU WOULD NORMALLY WRITE. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. I am a student in Ms. Bisesi’s 4N6 class learning about different techniques scientists use to solve crimes. Today, I will learn about handwriting analysis and forgery. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog and counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 3

INTRODUCTION Document analysts examine and compare questioned documents with known material. Experts in the field investigate such things as handwriting, computer printouts, commercial printing, paper, and ink. They may study threatening, ransom, or suicide notes. The uniqueness of handwriting makes this type of physical evidence one of the few definitive individual characteristics available. 4

HISTORY OF FORENSIC HANDWRITING ANALYSIS In the 1930s, handwriting analysis played a role in the famous Lindbergh kidnapping case with 12 ransom notes. In 1999, the United States Court of Appeals determined that handwriting analysis qualified as a form of expert testimony. To be admissible in court, however, scientifically accepted guidelines must be followed. 5

CHARACTER OF HANDWRITING Document experts continually testify to the fact that no two individuals write exactly 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. As writing skills improve, nerve and motor responses associated with the act of writing become subconscious. The unconscious handwriting of two different 6 FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction by Richard Saferstein

12 HANDWRITING CHARACTERISTICS – Line Quality Cursive and/or Print Word and Letter Spacing Shading or pen pressure Ratio of the height, Slant width and size of letters. Baseline Habits Pen Lifts Connecting strokes Beginning and ending strokes – letters complete Flourishes or embellishments Diacritic Placement (i’s and t’s) 7

LINE QUALITY re the lines smooth or shaky? This can help determine speed Writing slowly can mean copying. Original Forgery

SPACING - WORDS AND LETTERS What is the spacing between letters and words? Close together? Far apart? Is the spacing size consistent?

RATIO - HEIGHT, WIDTH, SIZE Are the letters consistent in shape & size? Original Forgery

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

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

LETTERS COMPLETE Are these straight, curled, long or short, an upstroke or a downstroke? Are the letters completely formed? Original Forgery

CURSIVE AND/OR PRINTED LETTERS Original Forgery

PEN PRESSURE Differences in shading differences in pen pressure Is the pen pressure on the upward or the downward strokes? Original Forgery

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

BASELINE HABITS Original Is the writing above, below, or right on a line? Forgery

FLOURISHES AND EMBELLISHMENTS Are there any? If so, what are they? Original Forgery

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

HANDWRITING SAMPLES The subject should not be shown the questioned document The subject is not told how to spell words or use punctuation The subject should use materials similar to those of the document The dictated text should match some parts of the document The subject should be asked to sign the text Always have a witness 20

HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION Analysis of the “knowns” with a determination of the characteristics found in the known Analysis of the questioned writing and determination of its characteristics Compare the questioned writing with the known writing. The document examiner must have enough exemplars to make a determination of whether or not the two samples match. 21

CAN HANDWRITING PREDICT PERSONALITY? https://www.pens.com/hand writing-infographic/