NCJ Number
95118
Date Published
1984
Length
132 pages
Annotation
Written for both beginners and experienced document analysts, this manual explains the theory and principles of forensic handwriting identification and the use of this analysis in case preparation and courtroom proceedings.
Abstract
The principles are divided into three categories: academic study, forensic study, and pragmatic study. Introductory discussions cover the basics of handwriting and preliminary examinations of a document. Academic study of handwriting is discussed in terms of class features, individual features, and idiosyncratic features of the writing being analyzed. Sources of known standard writings of suspects are listed and explained. The preparation of charts for courtroom presentation, the use of mathematics and psychology in handwriting analysis, report writing, and courtroom procedures are also detailed. Examples of handwriting, a discussion of computers in handwriting analysis, an index, and a bibliography listing 29 references are supplied.