Two persons – the victim or the felon, can write the note or the document. For the process of verification, the forensic handwriting expert gathers several handwriting samples. This will help the forensic handwriting expert to form some idea about the style or the nature of the handwriting of the convicted one. However, if in any case the writing in the document matches with any of the sample that has been collected it becomes easy for the expert to arrive at a conclusion. If in any case, the result is negative then it is a different story altogether.
At times, in absence of usable non-requested standard handwriting samples the forensic handwriting expert asks the suspected one to write something using a pen or a pencil and the sample is then matched with the questioned document. However, under such circumstances the produced instance written document is considered as the requested standard handwriting sample.
The advantages of having nonrequested standard writing samples
Such writing samples help the forensic handwriting experts in several ways. Most importantly, these documents disclose a writer’s true writing style and usual words and phrases used by him. These can act as strong evidences against the writer. However, a nonrequested standard writing sample has a disadvantage too. If the nonrequested sample is found to be unauthentic, without any connection with the author, then it is of no importance to the criminal investigator.
Time – a major determinant factor
For instance, if a forensic handwriting expert has to check with an old document – like a will written by the victim twenty years ago, then he has to collect old handwriting samples of the mortal. A recent written document of the person would not do in any case, as the style or the nature of handwriting keeps on changing with age.
Again, if the forensic handwriting expert has to check with a document written at the time of the crime then he has to take into account recent written samples of the victim. Under such circumstances, a document written by the victim twenty years ago would not do.
Now, this was all about the handwriting of the person who has expired. However, things tend to become simple if the forensic handwriting expert has to match the invented document with the writing of the wrongdoer. At times what happens due to circumstantial pressures and nervous breakdown, differences occur in the style of handwriting. This tends to create difficulties for the forensic writing expert to reach to a universal conclusion.
Things to be considered
At the time of analyzing the handwriting, the expert takes into account certain technical details like the content, over all form, format and margin and last but not the least line features of the document. Based upon these technicalities the forensic handwriting expert can reach to a definite and final conclusion.