Indicators of Handwriting and Forgeries

1. Line Quality: Do the letters flow or are they written with very intent strokes?
2. Spacing of Words and Letters: What is the average space between words and letters?
3. Ratio of Height, width, and size of letters: Are the lettersconsistent in height, width, and size?
4. Lifting Pen: Does the auithor life his or her pen to stop writing a word and start a new word?
5. Connecing Strokes: How are capital letters connected to lower-case letters?
6. Strokes to begin and end: Where does the letter connected to lower-case letters?
7. Unusual letter formation: Are letters written with unusual slants or angles? Are some letters printed rather then written in cursive?
8. Pen Pressure: How much pen pressure is applied on upward and downward strokes?
9. Slant: Do letters slant to the left or right? If slant is pronounced, a protractor may be used to determine the degree.
10. Baseline Habits: Does the authopr write on the line or does the writing go above or below the line?
11. Fancy Writing Habits: Are there any unusual curls or loops or unique styles?
12. Placement of Diacritics: How the the author cross the t's or dot the i's?

Forensics in Class

Through out the unit of forensics we have been doing different activities in class. For example:

• Hand Writing Analysis: For this assignment we were told to copy a ransom note off the board in our own handwriting. We then gave our paper to one of our two partners who then tried to forge our handwriting. Finally we switched papers again, giving it to our other partner who then copied our original note in our original handwriting.
  
• Check Puzzle: Everyone in the class was giving a copy of a check which we were told to fill out using the information on the board. After filling out the check we were then told to rip it into tiny pieces and put it into an envelope that had a number corresponding to our name. The envelopes were then distributed around the class at random and we were instructed to put the pieces back together of the ripped up checks. After all the checks were put back together we were sent around the room to look at the other student's handwriting to try to figure out whose check we had to put together.
  
• Fingerprinting: This assignment was one of our first ones in our forensics unit. We were given a sheet with ten boxes on it, each one of which was labeled with the name of a finger. We were then told to place our fingers in ink and then put our fingerprint into the correctly labeled box. Finally we were given a sheet with examples of the eight types of fingerprints and were told to identify our own fingerprints.

Techniques and Chemicals Used To Develop Pints

There are many way in which a detective can develop prints at a crime scene or in lab. For example you can use:

• The Powder and Tape Method: This uses different powders, usually involving carbon or aluminum, which is applied gently to the surface where the print is. The detetive, or whoever is developing the print, then takes a very fine brush and gently brushes at the power until the prints is completely covered. By blowing the excess powder away and placing a piece of tape over the print gently you should be able to lift the print with no problem.


• The cyanoacrylate fuming method: This method involves taking some sort of methylcyanoacrylate or ethylcyanoacrylate superglue and placing it over the print. The methylcyanoacrylate or ethylcyanoacrylates in the glue then react with the amino acids in the print and also with the mositure in the air forming, making a visible print.


• Ninhydrin: This is sparyed or dabbed unto the surface of the print and after reacting with the amino acids in the print it will form a purple or pink compund making the print visible.
  

For more information see: http://www.forensic-medecine.info/fingerprints.html

Basic Shapes and Patterns

There are eight types of patterns that can be found on your fingertips, however, the size or number of ridges that make up this pattern can be variate from person to person. The first pattern is called a plain arch and looks almost like a little hill made up of the ridges on your fingers. A tented arch looks kind of like a tent as it is made up of ridges that go straight up and then straight down. These two types of arches make up about five percent of the prints collected so far. There are three types of loop patterns, which make up seventy percent of the patterns collected, that can be found after taking a fingerprint. A ular loop makes a loop that faces the right while a radial loop makes a loop the faces to the right. The other type of loop pattern is called a central pocket loop which is a loop around a circle, usually located in the middle of your finger. The last three types of patterns are called whorl patterns and make up about twenty five to thity five percent of the patterns collected. The first type of whorl is called a plain whorl as it basically makes a simple swirl aroung your finger started in the center. A double loop whorl is made up of two distinct loops that go in opposite directions along your fingertip. The finally type of whorl is called an accidental whorl which is made up of a big swirl going around a center swirl, usually to the right. These eight types of prints can be found on anyone's fingers, however, everyone has their own unique set depending on which pattern you have on what finger. the patterns found on your fingertips are for life and even if you were to cut off the pads of your finger when your skin grows back the patterns will grow back as well!

For more information see: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/identifying-fingerprint-patterns-types-of-fingerprints.html

Types of Fingerprints

Latent: Latent fingerprints are formed by a combination of water, salt, amino acids and oils contained in sweatand must be developed before they can be seen.These type of fingerprints are the only type that cannot be seen by the naked eye, however, they can be made visable through the techniques of dusting, fuming, or usage of chemical reagents.
Plastic: Plastic prints, also known as impressed prints are left in pliable surfaces such as clay or paint. These fingerprints require no development in order to be photographed or viewed.
Direct: Direct fingerprints are formed when a substances comes in contact with the skin of the finger as the finger touches a smooth surface. This type of fingerprint leaves a clear pattern of ridges that can be seen without development of any kind. Blood is a great example of a substance can be used to produce a direct fingerprint.

For more information: http://www.fingerprinting.com/types-of-fingerprints.php

Fingerprinting History

The set of ridges on the pads of your fingers, or fingerprints as they are more commonly called, have been used around the world, for many centuries, in various ways. For example in the early 1600's fingerprints were used as signatures for a vast number of important government papers in countries such as Ancient Persia. However, in countries such as Ancient China and Ancient Babylon fingerprints were more commonly found on business transactions and clay seals. In 1686 a man by the name of Marcello Malpighi discovered that there were different patterns inscribed in the fingerprints but made no mention toward these patterns being used as a tool for individual identification. During the early and mid 19th century the idea of fingerprints opened up to new resources. In 1858 a man by the name of Sir William Herschel began a fingerprint collection from which he found that the ink prints he had collected were different for each individual and could be used as a way to identify a specfic person. Today we use fingerprints for everything from finding a missing child to keeping track of convicted felons. The FBI currently maintains a fingerprint library with more than ten percent of the entire US population. One great example of how the technique of fingerprinting has changed would be the automated fingerprinting identification system, or AFIS, which had allowed police departments to access the FBI's fingerprint library by computer. Over the course of history the usage of fingerprinting has changed, however, it will always remain a unique way for people to show their individuality.
For more information: http://www.aladdinusa.com/documentationservices/fingerhistory.htm