The History of Forensic Handwriting Examiners
A forensic handwriting analysis is done to decide the authenticity of a handwritten signature or document. There are professional analysts working for large police departments, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who carry out this task by comparing two samples of handwriting.
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The First Graphologists
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The history of handwriting analysis begins with important works by the 19th-century French scholar Abbe Jean Michon, who coined the term "graphology" (the study of different letter forms used by writers); Alfred Binet, (also the creator of the modern IQ test); and Milton Bunker, founder of the American Grapho Analysis Society in the United States. Klara Roman and Thea Lewinson were two major graphologists of the mid-20th century, when two major schools of thought developed: graphoanalysis (the study of how individual letters are made) and holistic graphology (the study of handwriting through its outer forms, use of space and overall style).
Surveys and Research
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Handwriting analysis was once touted as a valid, scientific method of analyzing personality traits and tendencies. Nevertheless, many recent studies have provided mixed results on the ability of a handwriting analyst to infer personality traits and abilities from an individual's handwriting samples. A recent study conducted by Dr. Rowan Bayne of the British Psychological Society, for example, found that handwriting analysis had no validity whatsoever in predicting personality or accomplishment. A British Broadcasting Corporation article in 2005 debunked the claims of graphologists attempting to analyze Tony Blair's handwriting and doodles--which turned out to actually be the work of Bill Gates.
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Methodology
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There are several methods by which handwriting analysts make their comparisons. The distinctive ways of making loops, dotting "i"s, crossing "t"s, writing above or below a line and other markers all reveal an individual's unique handwriting style. Investigators have developed a specific protocol for comparing a known specimen (the "standard" or "exemplar") with the document under investigation; first and foremost, the wording and lettering should be similar in the two documents. The form--the shape, slant and proportion of the letters--is the first of four primary factors studied. "Line quality" refers to continuity, pressure and density of the written line. "Arrangement" means the spacing of letters, their alignment and precision and the use of consistent punctuation methods. "Content" has to do with means of expression: spelling, words, phrasing and grammar.
Criminal Investigations
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Sir William Herschel, who developed the science of fingerprint analysis, was a committed supporter of handwriting analysis as an investigation tool. There are several famous criminal investigations that involved handwriting analysis, including the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby in the 1930s, the pursuit of Ted Kaczynski (the "Unabomber"), the fraud case against Clifford Irving (who created forged documents while attempting to sell the fake memoirs of Howard Hughes), and the JonBenet Ramsey murder case.
Legal Aspects
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The legal standing of handwriting analysis has been tested in several important cases, including the 1993 Supreme Court case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, which established that, in order to be admitted as evidence, expert testimony must be relevant and must draw on sound and generally accepted scientific method. In addition, the legal status of handwriting as an investigation tool and its implications for Fifth Amendment rights has been tested in the cases of US v. Rosinsky (1977) and US v. Wade (1967). These cases established the general precedent that a request for a handwriting sample from a suspect does not violate his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of John Athayde
