Forensic handwriting analysis

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Principles of handwriting analysis
• Characteristics of handwriting
  • Class Characteristics
  • Individual characteristics
• Forensic handwriting analysis – how it is done
  • 1. obtaining the sample and standard
  • 2. analysis of the sample
  • 3. comparing with the standard
  • 4. evaluating the evidence
  • 5.  report writing
• Conclusion
• References

Introduction

Forensic handwriting analysis is an important part of the examination of the questioned document. The need for handwriting arises in cases where there is a need to establish the identity of the actual writer. This is done by a properly trained Forensic Document Examiner (FDE). The procedure for analysis focuses on class and individual writing characteristics to identify, compare, evaluate, and verify the link between a suspect/victim and the crime scene. It becomes an important part of the investigation when handwriting is found as evidence at the crime scene. In many fraudulent cases, people might try to copy the signature or write fake threat notes disguising someone else’s handwriting. Culprits can even try to fake the wills and contracts involving identity theft, illegal medical practices, extortion, stalking, kidnapping, etc. Along with handwriting, the FDEs can also determine the type of ink and instrument used to alter the writing. Usually, the analysis compares the unknown with the reference sample. After the reports are developed, the FDE should be ready for a court testimony to summarise the report and give his opinion.

Examination of Questioned Document (Chapter 2)

Principles of handwriting analysis

The analysis of handwriting is based on a few principles that should be followed by every FDE all over the world. These principles are based on true scientific facts about handwriting.

Principle 1: No two individuals can have the exact same handwriting.

This principle is based on the fact that no matter how hard one tries to copy or imitate another person’s handwriting, one will never be able to produce the same one in prolonged writing. It requires a lot of confidence and skill on the imitator’s part to produce the same writing, which is a rare event. Every writer has a specific set of unique characteristics in their writing that are involuntarily produced. This feature is very useful for a handwriting expert to distinguish between genuine and copied writing.

Principle 2: One person can never write exactly the same way twice. All writing contains natural variation, which means two writings produced by the same writer are different.

This is to say that a person’s handwriting naturally varies. An expert must clearly distinguish between writers’ individual features and natural variation to establish originality. Individual characteristics unique to one writer are depicted in his writing, which are different from the handwriting of another writer. For example, if someone is asked to do his signature ten times, some variation is observed every time.

Principle 3: – Any rare feature in handwriting, considering the naturalness and relative speed with which it is written, is significant to establish identity and agree or disagree with other comparable features.

The rarity of a feature cannot necessarily be assigned with a scale. It is in the discretion of the FDE to define a particular feature of handwriting as rare and unique based on his knowledge and past experiences. Also, this rarity in writing should be produced at the same speed and frequency each time the writer is involved in an act of writing. If someone tries to copy this feature, they cannot execute it with the same randomness with which the original writer produced it. Identification of the writer is based on the agreement or disagreement of features that are comparable to the master pattern of a specific feature. Thus, we can say that two writings are written by the same individual if they are identical in all respects except the natural variation.

Principle 4: – When someone tries to copy another person’s handwriting, he is unable to do so with the same level of skill, randomness, and relative speed as is done by the original writer whom he seeks to copy. While trying to imitate the features, the imitator can copy only those that appear exceptionally unique to his eyes. He will either ignore the insignificant features or fail to copy them well.

Having the exact features in two different people’s handwriting is practically impossible. When the FDE compares two different handwritings, he gives equal importance to all their features. It is understood that a person will use his intelligence while imitating to determine whether a specific feature is unique. This, in turn, leads to the imitator’s discretion, which leads him to miss out on certain features that might appear in the eye of the FDE. Thus, an expert examiner can clearly differentiate between the original and fake writing based on the randomness of the writing.

MOVEMENTS IN HANDWRITING

Principle 5: – it is virtually impossible to identify the culprit who copies another person’s writing in cases where he succeeds in disguising his own writing habit or imitates another person’s handwriting without leaving any clue about his own writing.

One who is skilled can be appreciably good enough to exercise a particular skill with great expertise. The examiner should exercise great caution for a culprit who often produces fake writings. Due to good practice, the culprit has now learned enough tricks and techniques to make a good copy of the original. In such a scenario, there is a good chance that the examiner will fail to identify the differences between the original and the fake.

Characteristics of handwriting

There can be two types of characteristics of handwriting – Class and Individual.

Class Characteristics

These characteristics are common to a particular group with a common language, age, or class. It includes features like finger, hand, forearm, whole-arm movement, pen position, rhythm, slant, slope, spacing, speed, alignment, and format. It includes characteristics of the copybook form that an individual learns from someone. Class characteristics are mainly important in narrowing down the list of suspects. The feature is limited in that it cannot identify a person exactly. Class characteristics can also provide investigative lead and determine the modus operandi.

Class Characteristics of Handwriting

Individual characteristics

These include the characteristic features unique to only one individual of a particular group and not the others. Once a person is well versed in writing skills, he writes subconsciously and customizes it according to his personality. Writing becomes a unique identity of the person and can be used for individualization. The individual characteristics of handwriting include pen lifts, pen pressure, pen pauses, certain calligraphy to begin and end words, shading, slope, and connecting lines.

Individual Characteristics of Handwriting

Forensic handwriting analysis – how it is done

1. obtaining the sample and standard

Once the forensic analysis expert receives a case of handwriting analysis, his next important step is to obtain the standard sample. The standard sample can be any previous writing of the author who owns authorship over the writing, also called the collecting sample. To obtain the standard or known sample, the examiner might ask the writer to write something under monitored conditions in front of him in case previous records are not found. This is known as the requested sample dictated by the investigator to the suspect.

Care, Handling and Preservation of Questioned Document (Chapter 3)

2. analysis of the sample

In this step, it is the examiner’s work to carefully analyze the sample. The examiner carefully checks the article to determine all the class and individual characteristics found from the unknown and standard samples separately. Various different techniques and methods are adopted for analysis. The examiner has to be very observant and vigilant at this step, as even the slightest carelessness might be harmful. The unique characteristics and natural handwriting variations are also identified at this step for both samples.

3. comparing with the standard

After extracting all writing features, the next step is comparing and contrasting the obtained features. The standard and the unknown sample are compared. At this stage, the examiner also looks for grammatical and spelling errors. Here, the law of comparison is considered where the likes are compared. For example, writing in uppercase has to be compared to writing in uppercase only. First, the examiner tries to determine the pictorial similarity of the writings. If he succeeds in the first step, he conducts an in-depth analysis to check if all the features follow a similar pattern. After this, if the patterns are similar, the examiner conducts a more detailed comparison to establish the individuality of the handwriting.

4. evaluating the evidence

Here, the examiner evaluates and finally concludes about the original authorship of the writing. Hence the examiner gives an expert opinion about the entire procedure. At this step, the examiner determines whether the handwriting belongs to the actual writer or the disguised writer.

5.  report writing

Once the whole examination procedure is completed, report writing is essential. In this, the examiner writes a detailed report of the entire procedure. The report should be complete and comprehensible. The format of the report includes a total description of the examined document with a vivid statement of examinations that were requested to be performed. The report should contain easy language and clear concepts so readers can understand the result of the analysis. Disposition of the document initially submitted and other remarks should also be mentioned. 

Conclusion

Forensic handwriting analysis is thus an important part of questioned document examination, which clearly involves a lot of experience, precision, accuracy, knowledge, expertise, and patience on the examiner’s part to correctly establish penmanship. It is a very important procedure that is diligently followed by all handwriting experts to solve cases related to handwriting fraud.

Document Forgery (Questioned Documents)

References