Suggested Guidelines for Obtaining Known Handwriting Exemplars
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION
DEPENDS GREATLY ON THE QUALITY OF KNOWN WRITING
Handwriting comparison is aided by the investigator or attorney when he/she obtains solicited exemplars also referred to as specimens from the individual(s) for comparison by an expert forensic document examiner with questioned/disputed writing. There are other "unsolicited" methods for obtaining known exemplars.
Questioned and Known Specimens Must be COMPARABLE
A's cannot be compared with G's - "John Jones" cannot be easily compared with "Samuel Hansen" - the "J's" should be compared with "J's and the "ohn" in Johh should be compared with "ohn".
Approximate the Questioned Writing Conditions
If the questioned document is handwritten in cursive - request handwritten "cursive" specimens.
If the writing is upper-case printing - request upper-case printing.
If the questioned writing is written in pencil, ballpoint pen, felt tip pen - have the person use the same type of instrument.
If the questioned writing is on a check - use sample checks of the same size.
If the questioned document is on ruled paper - obtain the specimen on ruled paper.
DUPLICATE THE WORDING, THE WRITING INSTRUMENT AND THE SIZE OF THE WRITING SPACE ON THE QUESTIONED DOCUMENT AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE.
Known Specimens must be ADEQUATE
DO NOT PERMIT THE SUBJECT TO VIEW OR COPY QUESTIONED WRITING - dictate the wording to the subject. In obtaining dictated known writing, obtain a sufficient quantity for the document examiner to study the normal variations in the subjects writing. Obtain several specimens for each questioned document. Spelling errors, margins and punctuation are all a part of the examination process. For questioned signatures, or short text documents, obtain at least twenty (20) exemplars. For longer questioned documents obtain 3 to 4 exemplars. Take each exemplar from the subject as soon as it is completed so that they cannot use it as a reference for the next exemplar. You should place a sequential number (i.e. 1 through 20) on the back of each exemplar so the examiner can determine the order in which they were executed. Write the date and the name of the person providing the exemplar on the back of each exemplar. You may request the subject and any witnesses present to initial and date the back of each exemplar. All information on the back of the exemplar should be placed in a corner of the document.
It is also beneficial to obtain "unsolicited", dated documents (i.e. cancelled checks, letters, contracts, etc.) that precede or are contemporaneous with the date of the questioned document(s).
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