Forensic Linguistic Services

Dr. Lorna Fadden is an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada.

Dr. Fadden also provides Forensic Linguistics Services to  those in the US and Canada. She has experience working with various types of written and spoken language sources, such as emails, text messages, threats, letters, blogs, editorials, chat logs, surveys, as well as recorded conversation including investigative interviews, emergency calls, and undercover recordings. Read more……

Baker, J. N. (1955). Law of Disputed and Forged Documents. Charlottesville, VA: Michie Co.

Quirke, A. J. (1930) Forged, Anonymous, and Suspect Documents. London: Routledge Publishing Company.

Ames, D. T. (1901). Ames on Forgery: Its Detection and Illustration, with Numerous Causes Célèbres. Boston, Mass. : Boston Book Co.

Bates, B. P. (1971). Typewriting Identification (I.S.Q.T.): Identification System for Questioned Typewriting. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Bates, B. P. (2005). Identification System for Questioned Documents (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Beeching, W. A. (1974). Century of the Typewriter (Ist ed.) .William Heinemann Ltd.

Beeching, W. A. (1990). Century of the Typewriter. British Typewriter Museum Publishing.

Bradford, R. R., & Bradford, R. B. (1992). Introduction to Handwriting Examination and Identification. Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

Brunelle, R. L., & Crawford, K. R. (2003). Advances in the Forensic Analysis and Dating of Writing Ink. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Brunelle, R. L., & Reed, R. W. (1984). Forensic Examination of Ink and Paper. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Carvalho, D. N. (1904). Forty Centuries of Ink. New York: Banks Law Publishing Co.

Conway, J. V. P. (1959). Evidential Documents. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Ellen, D. E. (2006). Scientific Examination of Documents: Methods and Techniques. (3rd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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Harralson, H. H. (2008). Forensic Handwriting Examination of Motor Disorders & Forgery-Research and Applications. Vdm Verlag Dr Mueller E K

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Harrison, W. R. (1964). Forgery Detection: A Practical Guide. London: Sweet & Maxwell.

Herbertson, G. (2002). Document Examination on the Computer: A Guide for Forensic Document Examiners.USA: Wideline Publishing.

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Hilton, O. (1991). Detecting and Deciphering Erased Pencil Writing. Springfield, IL: Charles. C. Thomas.

Huber, R. A., & Headrick, A. M. (1999). Handwriting Identification: Facts and Fundamentals. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

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Complete this form and send it along with the evidence.

 If you don’t have PDF reader, you can download it from here.

The Worldwide Forensic Services Inc. (WWFS) accepts documentary evidence for examination from any government or private agency, from across Canada and Internationally.

Some of the Forensic Document Examination Areas Are:

Handwriting Analysis

The questioned handwriting, hand printing, signatures, numerals or initials can be examined and compared with the corresponding  known exemplars to determine if they are written by the same person or not. Please note that normally a signature can be compared with signatures (unless an individual has signed like name writing), handwriting can be compared with handwriting of corresponding style (cursive with cursive, printed with printed, and uppercase with uppercase). Also the comparison known/specimen handwriting should have the letters and letter combinations present in the questioned handwriting.

Photocopies, computer printouts or other machine generated documents

The machine generated documents can be examined to determine their origin or to determine if they have been tempered with or fabricated in any manner e.g. a fabricated photocopy prepared by transplanting a signature from another document by cut-and-paste method or with the help of  computer.

The typed matter or computer printouts can be examined and compared with the known samples to determine if a particular machine was used to produce the questioned document.

Inks

Inks can be physically or chemically examined to determine if the same ink or different inks were used to write a questioned document. The obliterated matter or faded inks can often be made legible with Video-spectral Comparator, scanning techniques, software enhancement or forensic filters. The Worldwide Forensic Services Inc. does not offer ink dating service at the present time.

Paper

Paper can be examined and compared with the other pages of a document or the known samples to determine if the document/ page in question is similar to the other papers. Torn documents can be reconstructed, and sometimes paper can be dated or linked to a particular manufacturer.

Alterations

The erasing, overwriting, alterations and indentations can often be detected with the help of different devices and light sources.

Evidence Submittal Procedure

The evidence is accepted either in person at our laboratory (by appointment only), via courier or certified mail. The evidence is returned in person or via courier. The evidence can include a cover letter or an Evidence Submission Form.

Evidence Handling Guidelines

1. Original documents are always preferable over the photocopies. If it not possible to obtain originals, submit best available photocopies.
2. The documents should not be staples, marked, unnecessarily touched, folded, torn, stamped of subjected to indented writings/ impressions.
3. The document itself should not be marked. It should be placed in an envelope that has been identified on the outside with pertinent data.
4. The photocopies, facsimiles or photographs should not be placed in plastic envelopes. The toner of printed areas may transfer and adhere to the plastic surface.
5. The documents should not be exposed to excessive humidity, excessive heat and prolonged direct sunlight.
6. Collect and submit sufficient number of known signatures/ handwriting samples. Try best to collect the known matter within the same timeframe as the questioned matter.
7. Submit your evidence via hand delivery or safe carrier.

Comparison Specimens

The level of certainty of the conclusions of a forensic document examiner mainly depends upon the quality of the questioned matter and the availability of the comparison specimens. Please click here to see an opinion scale.

We often receive phone calls saying that there is a signature in question and only one known signatures is available for comparison, or there are two signatures which need to be compared to each other to find out as to which one is real and which one is forged. The callers, influenced by the CSI Effect, fail to understand the importance of proper comparison specimens and may get disappointed from our inability to perform such analysis.

The submission of insufficient or inappropriate comparison specimens (also referred to as the known signatures/ handwriting, sample signatures/handwriting, exemplars) is a common problem. The clients need to understand that the forensic document examiners perform analysis in the real world and they need proper comparison specimens to evaluate the writings characteristics of an individual to reach to a conclusion.

There are two types of comparison specimens:

1. Collected Specimens
2. Requested Specimens

Collected Specimens

Collected specimens are the signatures or handwriting, written by an individual in his/her daily routine. Sufficient numbers of collected specimens written during similar writing conditions are likely to have sufficient data for comparison purposes.

While collecting specimens, consider the following:

1. Time Period

It is better to collect the comparison specimens contemporaneous to the date or the document in question. Signatures or handwriting of an individual may show marked changes with passage of time, and the comparison specimens of remote dates may prove to be unsuitable for proper comparison of the writing details.

2. Old Age and Illness

Old age and/or illness may affect the signatures and handwriting of an individual to a considerable extent. If the questioned signature or handwriting have been influenced by such conditions, it becomes necessary to look for the comparison specimens written under similar conditions.

3. Writing Conditions

Sometimes the questioned matter is written while standing or having uneasy posture.

Comparison specimens written during similar writings conditions may prove useful in the comparison process.

4. Writing Instrument

Normally the signatures or handwriting written with ball-point pen, fountain pen, gel pen or pencil do not show marked variations due to change in the writing instrument, however  it is better to have the comparison specimens written with similar type of writing instrument. The writings written with broad tipped writing instruments, such as felt tip marker, tend to show some prominent variations and it may become necessary to have comparison specimens written with similar type of writing instrument.

Sources of Collected Comparison Specimens

The following list of documents may be helpful to collect the comparison specimens:

“They were able to take a real one dollar bill and they were able to bleach the ink completely off,” said Rolland.

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – Investigators with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department are warning businesses to closely eye those larger bills before place them in the cash register. This after officers bust a counterfeit operation this weekend.

“It (the money) actually feels real and the reason it feels real is because the paper is real currency paper. It’s the image that is fake,” said Investigator Justin Rolland with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department.

The counterfeit culprits are Matthew and Jennifer Tarwater, a husband and wife duo from Little Rock….Read full News

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WRAL.COM
April 02, 2012

Fingerprints on a banana might be the key to a man getting his life sentence on rape and kidnapping convictions reconsidered.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Fingerprints on a banana might be the key to a man getting his life sentence on rape and kidnapping convictions reconsidered.

The North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission is meeting for three days this week to hear new evidence in a case involving an elderly Hickory woman who was raped in her apartment on Oct. 24, 1987…. Read full News

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Washington City Paper
April 02, 2012

The handwriting making the orders out looks very, very similar to the Thompson money orders, though the signatures look different. But LL’s no handwriting expert,so see for yourself.

Last year, when LL first started looking at medicaid contractor Jeff Thompson’s political giving, At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange, who is at the top of Thompson’s money list, wouldn’t return LL’s calls. When the Washington Post did its own profile of Thompson a few weeks later, Orange told the paper, “I’m not talking about Jeff Thompson.” …. Read full News

American Board of Forensic Document Examiners

American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE)

American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)

American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE)

Australian & New Zealand Forensic Science Society

Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences

Canadian Society of Forensic Sciences

Career and Education in Forensic Science

DNA Forensics

European Academy of Forensic Science

Expertlaw.com

Explore Forensics

Fingerprinting and Police Clearance

Forensics.ca

Forensic Evidence

Forensic Expert Witness Association

Forensic Issues

Forensic Education.com

Forensic Magazine

Forensic Nursing Careers

Forensic Science Resources on the Internet

Forensic Science Web Page

International Association for Identification (IAI)

Interpol Web Site

Kruglicks Forensic Resource and Criminal Law Search Site.

Reddy’s Forensic Page

Sherlock Holmes

The Classic Typewriter Page

The Fingerprint Society

The Forensic Resources Center

The Forensic Science Society

The Forensic Scientist

Zeno’s Forensic Site

4N6Site.Com