Forensic Document Examiners to the Rescue

American courtrooms have long been visited by "expert witnesses", people called upon and often paid to testify regarding topics for which they have "expert" knowledge or information. From accountants to real estate agents to doctors to auto mechanics, individuals with pertinent knowledge and expertise often make critical contributions to civil and criminal cases.

Even more respected are those individuals known as "forensic" experts. These are the individuals who make a career of scientifically evaluating evidence as it pertains to a case. There are "forensic accountants", "forensic pathologists" and "forensic toxicologists", to name just a few. But, no less important is the role of the "Forensic Document Examiner" to both civil and criminal litigation.

Forensic Document Examiners are specialists called upon to evaluate the handwriting and handwriting instruments used to write certain questioned or pertinent documents.

Many types of cases can hinge on the validity of a signature or the identity of the author of a letter, note or scribble. For instance:

Forgery: Most prevalent is the case of forgery, where someone signs or copies someone else's signature onto a document. In so doing, the forger may seek to take money or property from the person whose name they forged, falsely signing their name on checks, credit card bill slips, insurance claims, payroll checks, tax refunds, tax returns, even car and mortgage loans. Forgery can be a big part of identity theft. It can cause the loss of money, assets, property and credit and often do permanent damage to an individual's life. The Forensic Document Examiner can be critical in determining when signatures have been forged, thus releasing the damaged individual from liability for debts and obligations incurred illegally by someone else.

Questioned Will or Deed: In the case of legal documents such as wills or trust deeds, it is critical that the signatures are legitimate. In some cases, a signature may be forged on a will, so that the forger can attempt to take property from a decedent that they had not intended to leave to them. Or other people wishing to take the decedent's property may challenge the signature, claiming it to be a forgery so they can attempt to lay claim to the decedent's property against their actual wishes. Similarly, a signature may be forged on a deed, so the forger can attempt to take property from someone that did not agree to the transfer. Or someone may sign a deed, initially intending to transfer a piece of property, but later change his/her mind and so they attempt to deny signing it so they can get out of a legally binding transfer. In all these cases, a Forensic Document Examiner's scientific opinion can be critical in determining the validity of the signatures on these instruments so that only legitimate, legally binding documents are upheld.

Ransom and Suicide Notes: There are even cases where ransom notes are left for a family whose loved one has been kidnapped in which, by analyzing and comparing the handwriting in such a note, a Forensic Document Examiner can help to prosecute a suspected kidnapper. Even in the case of an apparent but suspicious suicide, a Forensic Document Examiner may be able to compare known samples of the deceased's handwriting to the handwriting in the note, to determine whether or not they actually wrote the suicide note. In these instances, by identifying the handwriting in ransom or ostensible suicide notes, Forensic Document Examiners may help to determine the identity or guilt of kidnappers and even murderers.

Clearly, Forensic Document Examination is a very important science and Forensic Document Examiners can be very valuable expert witnesses, helping to relieve innocent victims of fraud, upholding legitimate and legally binding legal transactions, preventing miscarriages of justice and prosecuting the guilty of even the most heinous crimes.