Forensic Document Examination

Question 1

What is the purpose of FDE?

Answer 1

To determine: has document been changed, which person or machine wrote the document, and is the document genuine

Question 2

Describe handwriting

Answer 2

A learned behavior that comes habitual, complex motor skill

Question 3

T or F

No one ever writes the same exact thing twice

Answer 3

True

Question 4

What is the principle of identification?

Answer 4

2 or more writings are the product of one writer if the similarities, taken in combination, are sufficiently individual and there are no fundamental differences

Question 5

What are fundamental differences?

Answer 5

A difference in some natural feature that is indicative of a persons writing habit and whose presence cannot be reasonable explained

Question 6

What conclusions can be made?

Answer 6

➢Identification (practical certainty
➢Probable identification (limitations)
➢Unable (apple-orange) 
➢Probably elimination
➢Elimination

Question 7

What are things to look at when identifying handwriting?

Answer 7

➢Base line
➢Intro stroke
➢Connection
➢Range of variations 
➢Slopes
➢Spacing 
➢Clockwise vs. counter clockwise 
➢Diacritics, (I dots), flying I dots, 
➢Count number of strokes, and the slant of them

Question 8

How can you tell if someone forged a signature?

Answer 8

Pen lifts, hesitation, pressure, disguise (major slope)

Question 9

What can be told about handwriting?

Answer 9

➢Who wrote the questioned handwriting
➢Is a signature a forgery or genuine
➢Cant really tell who wrote a forged signature
➢Cant tell at all who wrote a traced signature

Question 10

What is a video spectral comparator?

Answer 10

Uses different wavelengths of light to distinguish different inks

Question 11

What is ESDA

Answer 11

Electrostatic Detection Apparatus, Used to visualize latent writing impressions on paper