Handwriting Analysis
Chapter 8
Questioned Document
• Any written or printed communication whose
source is in doubt
▫ Can be written on any source with any type of
material
Handwriting
• Not necessarily unique to each individual
• Circumstances that impact handwriting
▫ age
▫ setting
▫ health
Handwriting Comparisons
• Exemplars (samples) are needed
▫ Requested exemplars
 Session arranged as similar to original scenario
where handwriting sample was written
 Person required to write what is spoken not
necessarily what is on original document
 Alerts suspect that there is an issue with handwriting
attempts to alter may occur
▫ Nonrequested exemplars
 Documents written by subject for purposes other
than the questioned document
 Represent true handwriting, but sometimes hard to
prove in court that the suspect is the source
Comparison Characteristics
• No two people have identical handwriting
• There are natural variations to person’s
signatures
• No single characteristic that is unique enough to
individualize handwriting
• No set number of characteristics needed to
identify the author of a questioned document
Handwriting Analysis
• Class characteristics
▫ Slant of writing
• Individual characteristics
▫ Unusual flourishes at ends of words or capital
letters
Identifying Forgery
• Signs of forgery
▫ Differences in:
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line thickness or smoothness
Connecting strokes
Pen lifts
Starts and stops
Retouching
Questioned Document Alterations
• Erasures
▫ Removing writing from a
document through
mechanical (rubbing
with abrasive materials)
or chemical (bleaching)
means
• Obliterations
▫ Original writing is
crossed out or written
over
▫ Charring
• Indented writing
▫ Document written on top
sheet of pad of paper and
leaves pressure marks on
subsequent pages
• Overwriting
▫ Which of two pen strokes
was made first
• Additions
▫ Writing added to original
document