Chapter 28: Questioned Documents

• The determination of paper thickness generally requires the use of a paper micrometer.

• The use of ultraviolet light can aid in determining the difference between two papers.

• Garland Movement → If a pen moves overhand or clockwise

• Arcade Movement → If pen moves underhand or counterclockwise

• Proportions → Refers to the symmetry of an individual letter.

• Indented Writing → also known as second-page writing, is the impression from the writing instrument captured on the sheet below the original paper.

• Watermark → The area of translucent design on paper

• Trash Marks → marks left on photocopies caused from dirt, scratches, and so on.

  • left on the surface of the drum, the cover, the glass plate, or the camera lens of the photocopy machine.

• Albert Osborn was an American handwriting expert and is credited with starting the forensic field of questioned documents. 

  • The Lindbergh Baby Case

• Poor tracing will reveal lowered line quality.

• The process of using infrared light can make the ink appear to glow, be transparent, or appear unchanged and is also used to analyze forgeries in passport, visas, and so on, by video spectra comparison.

  • Video spectral comparison

• Normal Hand Forgeries → where an individual does not attempt to copy the victim's signature of writing

• As is true for any mechanical device, use of a printing device will result in wear and damage to the machine s moving parts.

   

The Dreyfus Affair → a political scandal in France (1894–1906) tied to the treason conviction of Alfred Dreyfus for allegedly passing military secrets to Germany. It began with his wrongful conviction, later grew as evidence pointed to Ferdinand Walsin-Esterhazy as the real spy, and ended with Dreyfus being exonerated in 1906.