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Winter 2021, Forensic Science > Document analysis > Flashcards

Document analysis Flashcards

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1
Q

Who is responsible for the acceptance of document analysis as scientific evidence in court?

A

Albert S. Osborn

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2
Q

Forensic document examiner determines the source or authenticity of documents such as:

A 
1- wills
2- company's book
3- altered checks
4- lottery tickets
5- medical malpractice
6- art forgeries
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3
Q

Forensic document examiner examines documents and other written/printed materials to determine:

A 
authenticity 
age
authorship
alterations
age and source of paper/ink
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4
Q

Forensic examiners will compare _____ (4) and expose _____ or _____ writing.

A

handwriting, signature, typewritten or photocopied

damaged or obliterated

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5
Q

An individuals writing is _____, ______ and ______.

A

personal, unique and automatic/unconscious

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6
Q

true or false: an individual always writes the exam same way. Explan.

A

False

never write the exact same way twice

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7
Q

Handwriting is affected by many factors, name 3:

A

Positions: desk or wall
writing instrument
time (changes as you age)

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8
Q

Who is responsible for determining the writer’s personality type? Is it accepted in FS?

A

graphologist

no

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9
Q

What is the name given to a document whose authenticity is questioned?

A

questioned document

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10
Q

What is a standard?

A

writing sample

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11
Q

What is needed to perform an analysis?

A

several standards

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12
Q

The writing sample would ideally have been written:

A

1- the approximate same time as the questioned document
2- similar type of paper
3- the similar writing instrument

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13
Q

What is the name of a sample that already exists?

A

nonrequested sample

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14
Q

What is the name of a sample that is asked of a suspect? What are the 5 things that must be done in this case?

A

requested sample
similar writing instrument
similar paper
words found on the questioned document( dictation)
words written in cursive/not depending on questioned document
upper and lower case letters

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15
Q

What are the advantages of a requested writing sample?

A

authenticity and authorship are established automatically

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16
Q

What are the disadvantages of requested writing samples?

A

changes can be done in the writing because of nervousness or on purpose to alter.

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17
Q

When comparing the overall form of the letters, what are we comparing? 5

A 
size
shape
slant
proportion
beginning and ending stroke
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18
Q

When comparing the line features, what are we comparing? 5

A 
writing speed
fluidity
amount of pen pressure
spacing between letters and words 
how are letters connected
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19
Q

When comparing the margins and format, what are we comparing? 4

A

width of the margins
consistency of the spacing
slant between lines
overall form and layout of the document

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20
Q

When comparing the content, what are we comparing?

How does this help us?

A

grammar
punctuation
word-choice
Help find consistent errors, repeated phrases: ethnicity and education

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21
Q

What are the 2 handwriting databases?

A

FBI and FISH (forensic information system for handwriting)

22
Q

What is a forgery? What is the role of the forensic document examiner v. judge or jury in a case like this?

A

intent to alter or writing a document to defraud.
FDE= determining if altered
Judge jury= intent

23
Q

What are the 3 most common methods of forgery?

A

1- freehand simulation (copy)
2- Tracing (Décalquer)
3- disguised writing (camouflage or change writing)

24
Q

Instruments used for document examination? 6

A 
microscopes
digital imaging instrumentation
infrared
ultraviolet light source
ESDA 
analytical chemistry (ink)
25
Q

Clues that give away forged writing? 7

A 
1- evidence of previous drawing
2- forgers tremors
3- uneven writing speed or pen pressure
4-hesitation
5- unusual pen lifts to check handiwork 
6- patching or retouching 
7- blunt beginnings and endings
26
Q

What are the 2 main reasons people alter documents?

A

alibi or profit

27
Q

What are the ways to erase parts of documents?

A

rubber eraser
knife point or other sharp instrument
sandpaper
fingernail

28
Q

What are the ways of unveiling erasures?

A

naked eye
magnifying glass
microscope
UV or IR light will show fragments or eraser or ink
Lycopodium powder (exposes tiny rubber particles)

29
Q

What are the two ways of obliterating documents?

A

chemicals (oxidizing or bleach)

fire

30
Q

If the document burns completely, what happens to document analysis?
What can we do if paper only charred?

A

writing gone forever.

reflecting light - expose the contrast between paper and charred paper. Then photograph

31
Q

What is an alteration?

A

When perpetrator replaces word or changes thing.

32
Q

What are the two ways we can see alterations?

A

1- Microscope: subtle color difference in ink, line thickness, pen pressure and double lines.
2- UV or IR light: presence of different inks.

33
Q

What is the other way of forging a document?

A

Overwriting.

34
Q

What is “indentation”?

A

When writing over two or more sheets of paper. Latent writing impressions.

35
Q

Name a reason why Indentation is helpful (other than having info didn’t have before)?

A

Can see parts of the document that have been added

36
Q

What are the two ways of recovering indentation?

A

Photographically using oblique light

ESDA

37
Q

How does photographically using oblique light works?

A

oblique light - sends light at an angle to reveal furrows of indented writing. We can move the source to have all the information.

38
Q

What are the disadvantages of photographically oblique light?

A

1- doesn’t work if writing is microscopic

2- long process.

39
Q

What does ESDA stand for?

ESDA is a ____ way of recording writing?

A

electrostatic detection apparatus

permanent

40
Q

What are the 3 situations in which we cannot use ESDA?

A

1- documents processed for fingerprints
2- thick cardboard
3- saturated with fluids

41
Q

What are the steps to use ESDA?

A

1- cover the page with cellophane and make it stick the paper with a vacuum.
2- send high voltage in paper and high charges will go inside the indent (even micro ones)
3- black toner is put on the cellophane.
4- the black toner will go in a higher charged indent.
5- photograph and place in an adhesive plastic sheet.

42
Q

What are the advantages of ESDA?

A

very sensitive so works with micro

non-descriptive

43
Q

Why would the forensic document examiner analyze the paper and the ink?

A

see if pages have been added

know if the document was created at a specific time.

44
Q

paper is made of ____ and ____ and often have _____ that affects: (5)

A

wood and cotton
chemical additives
opacity, colour, brightness, strength, durability

45
Q

What are the 3 chemical additives and their use?

A

Coatings: appearance and surface properties.
Fillers: colour, strength and surface texture
Sizings: surface less porous to ink.

46
Q

What are the two things a forensic document examiner would like to know about ink?

A

1- same ink for each page/word

2- particular ink existed when document was written

47
Q

What are the 2 ways of analyzing ink?

A

1- microspectrophotometry: light transmission, absorption, reflection
2- Thin-Layer chromatography (TLC)
small cuttings from documents placed in a solvent and analyzed.

48
Q

When the document is made with technology and not by hand, the examiner will examine:

A

make, model of machine
known standards
available accessories
machine itself

49
Q

Other documents can be questioned such as:

A

rubber stamps
embossed seals
watermarks
mechanically printed marks

50
Q

The device suspected will need to produce sample of other documents such as:

A 
writing instruments
paper
rubber stamps
sealing device
printing device

Winter 2021, Forensic Science (16 decks)

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