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To become a document examiner Bachelors degree followed by an internship under a recognized examiner. 2-3 more years of independent document work Certification by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) Natural or corrected 20/20 vision in each eye Cannot be form or color-blind

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A document examiner can determine whether a signature or writing is authentic by analyzing 12 characteristics of the writing sample and comparing it to known samples (exemplars). Handwriting can be individual evidence.

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Handwriting samples lie OUTSIDE the protection of the 4 th and 5 th amendment. Suspects may NOT plead the 5 th and the taking of handwriting samples DOES NOT constitute unreasonable search and seizure.

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Known writings must: be adequate in number to show full range of natural variations. contain some of the same words or phrases as the questioned document. be as similar to the questioned document as possible (type of paper, writing implement, ruled vs unruled paper, etc)

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1. Blind Forgery; forger uses his or her own handwriting and does not attempt to copy an original. 2. Simulated Forgery; carefully copying a genuine signature. 3. Traced Forgery; tracing a genuine signature onto a document.

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JonBenet Ramsey case

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the removal of writing by physical or chemical means.

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Physical; erasures scraping ink off of the papers surface Chemical ; strong oxidizing agents like chlorine and sodium hypochlorite make ink colorless Detected with microscope, oblique lighting, UV or infrared light. Digital image processing; Lightening, darkening, contrast, and filters

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Can be used to forge a signature. Oblique lighting will enhance indentations while rubbing with a pencil can alter the evidence

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Electrostatic Detection Apparatus

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Wear and damage to a machine will result in individual characteristics of a typewriter.

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Photocopiers leave transitory defect marks from debris on the glass, inner cover, etc Printer model determination: Analysis of printer technology Analysis of type of ink used

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Fax machinessame points of comparison as printers with the addition of the header, known as the TTI at the top of each page. TTI= transmitting terminal identifier Data base of TTI fonts maintained by the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners

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Sound spectrograph

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Spectrogram analysis Measures three parameters of speech: Time Frequency Volume of different frequencies

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