Frequently Asked Questions
Can photocopies be used for an examination?
Yes. Original documents are always best. However, it is recognized that sometimes a copy is the only form of a questioned document that is available. There are limitations to examinations that involve photocopies. The quality of the copy is a significant factor. A signature can be "cut and pasted" on to a document electronically or manually and it is sometimes impossible to detect this.
Do you tell personality from handwriting?
No. A graphologist professes to do this. Forensic Document Examiners are not graphologists and vice versa.
How many specimen documents or exemplars are necessary for a comparison?
The short answer is as many as possible. The specimens should be contemporaneous with the questioned document. The types of writing should also be similar Ð cursive with cursive; hand printing with hand printing, for example.
Are all handwritings or signatures identifiable?
No. Some signatures and handwriting are very simple in style and execution and can be easily simulated or have a chance resemblance other signatures or handwriting.
Do you only identify a writer?
No. Quite often writers are excluded as the writers of signatures or handwriting.
Do you only examine signatures and handwriting?
No. A Forensic Document Examiner (FDE) also examines typewriting, computer-generated documents, rubber stamps, inks, pens, paper, alterations, obliterations, indented impressions, photocopies, and faxes. This is not an exhaustive list. This examiner has had at least one case in which staples and staples holes were a significant factor in showing that a document was altered. Examinations are generally conducted to determine the authenticity, source, content, or age of a document.
Can FDEs testify in court?
Yes. FDEs have testified for many years as expert witnesses in courts and judicial hearings throughout the world.