What is the role of document examiner?
Forensic document examiners are most frequently asked to resolve questions of authorship. By comparing documents found at a crime scene to a suspect’s known writing samples, the forensic document examiner can help confirm who wrote the note and include or exclude suspects from the investigation.
What categories are analyzed by document examiners?
Subject matters analyzed by document examiners include the following:
- Authorship of signatures.
- Authorship of handwriting and hand printing.
- Examination of documents for presence of alterations.
- Decipherment of obliterated or erased entries.
- Restoration of burned or liquid soaked documents.
How do document examiners analyze ink?
Determining individual dye components ― An examination called liquid chromatography can be conducted to identify the chemical composition of inks on a document. In this technique, a small cutting from the questioned document is dissolved in a solvent and analyzed.
What aspect of a document does a document expert analyze?
Forensic document examiners analyze the paper for indented writing. These are indentations that may not be visible to the eye but are transferred through the pressure of the writing instrument on sheets of paper underneath where the writing was performed.
What are the different qualifications of a document examiner?
The ABFDE requires that examiners obtain a minimum of a baccalaureate degree and complete a two-year, full-time training program or apprenticeship in a recognized forensic laboratory or with an established examiner in private practice.
What skills must a document examiner have?
Communication skills: They must be able to testify in court if needed and explain their findings verbally and in writing to law enforcement officials and others. Critical thinking skills: Forensic document examiners must use their best judgment when examining documents and matching them to sources.
What basic characteristics would a document examiner look at to determine if there is a match?
The examiner looks for unique qualities such as letters and word spacing, letter and word slant, size and proportionality of letters, unusual formations of letters, flourishes, and other individual attributes. Comparison – The next step is to differentiate elements from the known sample to those of the unknown sample.
What types of trace evidence can be found in your home?
The Trace Evidence Unit (TEU) identifies and compares specific types of trace materials that could be transferred during the commission of a violent crime. These trace materials include human hair, animal hair, textile fibers and fabric, rope, soil, glass, and building materials.
What do you mean by trace evidence?
Trace Evidence Analysis is the discipline of forensic science that deals with the minute transfers of materials that cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Trace evidence may provide a link between the victim and a suspect, a victim and a scene, or the suspect and a scene.
What is impression evidence?
Impression evidence is created when two objects come in contact with enough force to cause an “impression.” Typically impression evidence is either two-dimensional — such as a fingerprint — or three-dimensional — such as the marks on a bullet caused by the barrel of a firearm.