Read through the “handwriting analysis” paper you received.

1) Which person did you get?

2) What does this person’s handwriting say about them?

3) Do you think this information is reliable? Why or why not?

Do now: left page1A Marilin

1B Jesica

2A Gaby

2B Victor

3A Alex

3B Selena

4A Luis

4B Jacob

5A Daisy

5B Riley

6A Ashley

6B Jeska

7A Zach

7B Esme

8A Crystal

8B Brennan

9A Hannah

9B Sophia

10A Carlos

10B Julian

11A Annahi

11B Jordyn

12A Scotty

12B Dylan

13A Gaby

13B Chris

14A Odom

14B Jasmine

30 seconds

to take care

of your business

Suggested

text of the day

Group MMSFrank Mary Lester JennyMack Genevieve Merlin

Graphology is wack

Read through the “handwriting analysis” paper you received.

1) Which person did you get?2) What does this person’s

handwriting say about them?3) Do you think this information

is reliable? Why or why not?

Do now: left page

Comparison

Graphologist - attempts to predict character traits from handwriting examination

Forensic Document Examiner - involves the analysis and comparison of questioned documents with known material to identify the author or origin of the questioned document.

Handwriting AnalysisHandwriting sample of President George Bush

According to Sheila Lowe in her book, Handwriting of the

Famous and Infamous, President Bush’s

handwriting is “fast and highly

simplified in fairly well-organized

writing field”.

Is this a forensic document examiner or a graphologist??

Linguist

Experts that look at the linguistic content (the way something is written) of a questioned document.

Language that is used can help to establish the writer’s age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, professional training, and ideology.

Related Fields

Historical dating—the verification of age and value of a document or object

Fraud investigation—focuses on the money trail and criminal intent

Paper and ink specialists—date, type, source, and/or catalog various types of paper, watermarks, ink, printing/copy/fax machines, computer cartridges

Forgery specialists—analyze altered, obliterated, changed, or doctored documents and photos

Typewriting analysts—determine origin, make, and model

Computer crime investigators—investigate cybercrime

Questioned Document Specialists

Handwriting Analysis

Forensic Document Examiner

Forensic Document Examiner

• Handwriting originates in the brain when a mental picture of letters and words is formed. The signal to try to duplicate the mental picture is sent to the arm and hand through the muscles and nervous system. The actual output is almost never an exact match of the original mental picture.

Forensic Document Examiner

Handwriting is distal, meaning that it occurs at the extremities and involves fine motor activity as opposed to a skill like walking which is proximal - a large, or gross motor skill. One reason individuals find it difficult to simulate the handwriting of others is that to do so successfully requires understanding the essence of the writer's motor control program and executing that same program.

Uses of Handwriting Analysis

• Determine identity of writer In ransom notes In document forgery In death threats In suicide notes Can you think of others?

Forensic Document Examiner

Comparisons Are Useful Because…• No two people have identical handwriting• By adulthood, it is considered individual

evidence• Even disguised handwriting will exhibit some of the person’s individual characteristics

Forensic Document Examiner

Standard Comparisons• Exemplar

– Handwriting sample that is the known sample or the standard

• Samples from an individual include Collected writing

comes from prior to the beginning of the investigation (helps prevent or indicate when a person is disguising their handwriting)

Requested writing is a dictated text using the same type of paper

Same type of ink as the sample to be analyzed

Forensic Document Examiner

• The best thing to examine is something with the same words as the document in question.

• An examiner may dictate to a potential suspect, slowly then faster so that they have less chance of disguising the handwriting.

• Use same ink and paper (as said before) pencil, ballpoint pen, fountain pen, marker, etc.

Forensic Document Examiner

• List ways a person may change or attempt to disguise their handwriting

• Name items that you could get from a potential suspects home to use for handwriting identification.

Forensic Document Examiner• Some typical document examination questions• Is the signature genuine?

• Is the document forged, and if so is it forged by a particular person?

• Is the same person the author of several documents?

• Did someone guide a person's hand as a will was signed?

• Did the doctor come back later and alter the medical records?

• Did the signer of the document also initial the changes?

• What is written under the crossed out portion of the writing?

• Was the document written on the date indicated?

Handwriting

Involves two phases:

1. The hardware—ink, paper, pens, pencils, typewriter, printers

2. Visual examination of the writing

Handwriting Identification

Handwriting Identification

“ACE”• Analysis

• of the “knowns” with a determination of the characteristics found in the known

• of the questioned or unknown writing and determination of its characteristics

• Comparison of the questioned writing with the known writing.

• Evaluation of the evidence, including the similarities and dissimilarities between the “questioned” and “known” writing.

Handwriting Traits / Characteristics

LOOK ON YOUR RED PAPER.

Collecting Handwriting Samples

• The subject should not be shown the questioned document

• The subject is not told how to spell words or use punctuation

• The subject should use materials similar to those of the document

• The dictated text should match some parts of the document

• The subject should be asked to sign the text• Always have a witness

Disguised Handwriting

A deception in which the writer attempts to camouflage his/her handwriting

Does asking for your handwriting violate your rights?

Answer: Nope

5th Amendment – (the right not to incriminate yourself or testify against yourself)…. The U.S. Supreme Court decided that handwriting is a part of identifying physical characteristics that aren’t protected against ‘the 5th’

And what about that 4th?The U.S. Supreme Court decided that providing a handwriting sample doesn’t violate the 4th Amendment’s protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Handwriting Lab

Objective:Match a questioned document to a known document by analyzing 6 handwriting traits

• You have received a letter from “the bandit.”• You will match your letter with one of the grandma birthday cards.

MUST INCLUDE:• at least 6 of the traits mentioned on

your RED sheet• A chart the shows which traits you

analyzed, and what you noticed about each trait in each sample.

• A 5-10 sentence letter to the police chief explaining your match, and how you made it.

Reflection:Stand up and

share two important ideas that you have learned so far.Sit down when

done.

http://loveandradio.org/2011/05/manintheroad/ Melvin Dummar audio interview. “The Mormon Will”

Lindbergh Case

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpbi_LQIlzE (10 min)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHAv5XEG--w (23 min)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOc_gztk2E8 (52 min)