Chapter 10 test Flashcards
Know what a graphologist is
Graphologists interpret the personality of a writer based on their handwriting and it is not an accepted forensic science.
What does the BFDE do?
Board of Forensic Document Examiners is voluntary and provides certifications to document experts as they do their apprenticeship through them
What is meant by line form?
It includes the smoothness of letters and the darkness of the lines on the upward compared to the downward stroke. It is influenced by the speed and pressure used while writing as well as the writing instrument
What do you look for in formatting?
Includes the spacing between letters, the spacing between words and lines, the placement of words on a line, and the margins a writer leaves empty on a page.
What is the primary purpose of forging something?
Deception and money
What is the computerized analysis of handwriting samples?
It enables handwriting analysis to be faster and more objective, if the pen pressure is being reviewed an examiner uses his or her subjective opinion. Forensic Information System for Handwriting is a computerized database used and maintained by SS, allowing for comparison against existing samples.
Americans write more than 70 billion checks, what is the approximate value of the illegitimate checks cashed each day?
$27 million
How are initial comparisons of documents done?
Unaided eye, a hand-held lens, or a microscope
What are the different ways criminals can alter or acquire a check?
Ordering someone else’s checks from a deposit slip, directly altering a check, intercepting someone’s check, altering it, and cashing it, and creating forged checks from scratch
Why are some documents chemically treated?
To age both the paper and the ink. Some documents are treated by companies to help prevent fraud
What are the chemicals inside a counterfeit-detecting pen?
iodine
How effective are counterfeit-detecting pens?
98% effective
Who maintains the forensic information system for handwriting?
The Secret Service
What is the number one way someone would suspect fake money?
It doesn’t have the same texture/printing
Why does the government continue to change the design of paper money?
To make it difficult to copy and to prevent counterfeiting
After scientifically analyzing handwriting samples, the expert witness has to do what to present to the jury?
Prepare a written report of the analysis to present in court and demonstrate how document comparisons work and how they made the conclusion about the authorship of the documents and show similarities and differences between the samples
Who is Mark Hoffman?
A document dealer and forger known for forging 116 pages of a ‘lost’ Mormon document. Used a bomb killing 2 people when he failed to make more and was given life in prison
What affects a person’s handwriting?
Handwriting is affected by old age, mood, drugs, fatigue, and illness.
