Forensic Document Examiner

Author & FDE writes amazing Fiction series

2008-10-12T10:57:00.005-05:00

Sheila Lowe is a Forensic Document Examiner, Handwriting expert, and the author of the Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting Mystery series

Claudia Rose is a forensic handwriting expert who uses her expertise to help solve crimes.

Poison Pen and Written In Blood are the first two books in the Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting Mystery series.

I have read Sheila Lowe's first book Poison Pen & couldnt put it down. I was done within 24 hours, and then had to wait almost a year for the next book Written in Blood. I plan on getting it for my birthday in less than 20 days.

Sheila does what Stephen King & Dean Koontz does (two of my favorite authors).

She grabs the reader and pulls them into the book, during the first paragraph and she doesn't let them go until the last paragrah. Even then she still has a hypnotic hold on the reader and leaves them wanting more.

Sheila's books are a must read in this blogger's opinion.

Handwriting expert fingers Brooks

2008-10-09T14:59:00.002-05:00

Forensic Document Examiner testifies about the handwriting on a Fed Ex shipping label.

Handwriting expert fingers Brooks

By TRENT SPINER
Union Leader Correspondent

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008

BRENTWOOD – Prosecutors yesterday rested their case against accused killer John "Jay" Brooks after laying out evidence for more than a month implicating him in the murder of a Derry trash hauler.

The move opens the possibility for Brooks to take the stand in his own defense as early as this morning, though his attorneys would not comment on their plans.
Brooks, a multimillionaire businessman from Derry, has so far been largely emotionless throughout the trial as two of his alleged accomplices pointed the finger at him in the murder of Jack Reid Sr., 57.

Brooks' testimony could prove important for jurors trying to determine his intent when he allegedly lured Reid to a Deerfield barn in the summer of 2005. Because prosecutors are seeking a capital murder conviction against Brooks, they have the burden to show Brooks orchestrated Reid's killing after "substantial planning and premeditation."

Prosecutors spent yesterday questioning DNA and handwriting analysts who examined evidence in the case.

Alan Robillard, a documents expert, testified it was Brooks' writing on a shipping label used to send a package to the murder scene. While the name "Jay Brice" was listed on the slip, Robillard said he thoroughly examined the writing to determine it likely was done by Brooks.

Full article:
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Handwriting+expert+fingers+Brooks&articleId=ef9478b4-141d-4712-a797-ba04d4525ba2

similar article on the Brooks case: http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2008/10/07/state_rests_in_nh_murder_for_hire_trial/

Lawyer still awaiting documents from prosecutors

2008-10-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

Publication: The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press
Motz's lawyer still awaiting documents from prosecutors
By Vera Chinese
Oct 8, 08 1:03 PM

The attorney representing Quogue Village Mayor George Motz, who was indicted in August on charges that he illegally earned more than $1.4 million for his Manhattan-based investment firm, is one step closer to securing a trial date for his client after requesting documents from the prosecution during a pre-trial hearing on Friday.

Mr. Motz’s attorney, G. Robert Gage of Manhattan, explained on Tuesday that the status conference, a pre-trial hearing held in U.S. District Court in Central Islip that lasted about 20 minutes, was held to discuss administrative tasks and scheduling concerns.

Mr. Gage said he is still waiting for the prosecution to provide him with documents he requested before he can file any motions on behalf of his client. “We thought that was the best course,” Mr. Gage said.

The rest fo the story: http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=172021

Follow the story from the beginning:

Mayor is indicted
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=164771

Trial date to be set
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=170680

Lawyers waiting on documents
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=172021

Discrepancies in Dallas DA’s Disclosure Reports

2008-10-07T10:39:00.002-05:00

2 document examiners agree on the handwriting of Dallas DA's disclosure reports.

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Discrepancies in Dallas DA’s Disclosure Reports
Last Edited: Wednesday, 24 Sep 2008, 10:38 PM CDT
Created: Wednesday, 24 Sep 2008, 3:28 PM CDT

By Becky Oliver, Joe Ellis, Donna Ressl

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has made the integrity of the Dallas justice system a cornerstone of his administration. But when FOX 4 asked for an explanation of inconsistencies in his financial reports to the state, he didn't provide one. So, FOX 4 went to outside experts for help.

Elected officials are required to report everything about their personal finances. Those reports require an oath of truth. Every year elected officials like Dallas D.A. Craig Watkins must complete a personal financial statement, signed by them, witnessed by a notary public, and filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.

"That's where people go to find out whether you have conflicts of interest," says Tom "Smitty" Smith, with the government watchdog group, Public Citizen. "These are the heart and soul of disclosure in state government and in county government and they've got to be accurate," Smith continued. But FOX 4 noticed some apparent discrepancies with Craig Watkins’ disclosures.
On his 2008 personal financial statement, filed last spring, Watkins’ wife, Tanya is the notary shown on the statement affidavit. FOX 4 noticed the date on the notary stamp had expired five months earlier. FOX 4 also noticed the handwriting in the space provided for the notary looks nothing like Tanya Watkins’ writing on Craig Watkins’ 2007 disclosure affidavit and other public documents.

FOX 4 asked two experts, separately for their opinions. We provided them with copies of Craig Watkins' personal financial statements over the last three years and other public records.
Certified forensic document examiner Brenda Anderson noted how Craig Watkins tends to write the letter "Y" with the first stroke almost parallel with the baseline and randomly capitalizes the letter "A" within words. Those same characteristics, she points out, also show up in the notary space on Watkins 2008 disclosure affidavit. Anderson called the notary signatures on Watkins’ 2008 and 2006 disclosures forgeries in her detailed report.

Handwriting expert Jeanne Parsley also reviewed the documents and provided a detailed report. She, too, noticed particular traits in Craig Watkins' writing, including how he tends to write the letter "Y" and the letter "A," and reached a similar conclusion about the notary handwriting on Watkins' 2008 financial statement affidavit. "It is definitely Mr. Watkins' handwriting," said Parsley.

Parsley pointed out the expired notary stamp and what she calls "pictorial evidence" that Tanya Watkins' writing on other documents is very different from what appears on the 2008 disclosure affidavit. "The signature, it is not that of Tanya Watkins," said Parsley. "This is an attempt to disguise the authorship of the signature." But something else caught Parsley’s eye on the 2008 disclosure affidavit: the word "notary" in the space provided for "title of officer administering oath" is misspelled. The author spelled it "n-o-t-e-r-y."

Parsley says a comparison of Tanya Watkins' handwriting and signature on other documents shows she did actually notarize her husband's 2007 statement.

But on Watkins' 2006 financial statement, filed before the 2006 election, he used a different notary, Toyia Gamble. Parsley points out the "pictorial evidence" that the notary signature on the 2006 statement affidavit is nothing like Gamble’s signature on a 2003 deed of trust filed with the Dallas County Clerk. "It is not an attempt to even sign Ms. Gamble's name in the usual way that her signature would be seen," Parsley said. "Again, this is an attempt to disguise the signature," she continued.

Parsley again noted how Craig Watkins consistently writes particular letters, including the distinctive use of a capital "A," which appears in the notary’s printed name on the 2006 statement affidavit. "The printed name, as well as the title of officer administering oath line is in Mr. Watkins handwriting and is not that of Toyia Gamble," said Parsley.

So, is it a crime for someone else to use a notary’s stamp and signature?

"Depending on the situation, that could be interpreted as impersonating a public servant, which is a clear violation of the penal code and you can’t do that," said Scott Haywood with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office. Haywood says a notary public is a commissioned public servant, administering an oath of truth. "Signing for someone else and pretending to be that person - that would actually be a felony offense and you can't do that," Haywood told FOX 4.
FOX 4 asked Craig Watkins who signed his wife’s and Toyia Gamble’s signatures and used their notary stamps on his 2006 and 2008 financial statements. But Watkins refused repeated requests to go on camera. In a (1 written statement Watkins only says: "The Texas notary statute allows a duly licensed notary to acknowledge their spouse's endorsement." Actually, the Texas notary law says nothing about notarizing a spouse’s documents. But the Texas Notary Handbook does.

"You’re really not supposed to notarize for your spouse,” says Haywood. “Notaries are supposed to be independent witnesses that have nothing to do with the transaction or the documents that are being attested to," he continued.

So, did an independent witness notarize Watkins financial statements? He didn’t answer that in his statement. We also wanted to know about something missing from his financial disclosures…concerning his private business dealings.

Fidelity National Title’s corporate website still lists him as the direct contact for the fair branch office in Dallas.

Earlier this summer, Watkins told FOX 4 he has a contract with Fidelity National Title to close real estate deals as a fee attorney. Watkins said his contract is to sell title insurance, not for private legal work. Private practice is illegal for Texas prosecutors.

So, why does Craig Watkins’ name show up on 2007 real estate documents as "Craig Watkins – Attorney at Law," with his private business address? Watkins is the trustee on several deeds of trust filed with the Dallas County Clerk after he took office. One of them was filed on June 27. His wife, Tanya notarized all of them.

"You can't have it both ways," says Tom Smith. "Either you're working for the escrow agency and providing attorney services, or you're working for the county."
But is Watkins having it both ways?

On April 9th of this year, Craig Watkins filed a certificate of ownership for his title company with the Dallas County Clerk. Just three weeks later he filed his 2008 personal finance statement with the Texas Ethics Commission. But in his 2008 disclosure Watkins makes no mention of owning the title business. He only checked the box for "information relates to spouse" and checked the box indicating she is "self-employed."

"If he's showing it with the county that he is the owner and not with the Ethics Commission he's not telling the truth to one or the other of the bodies," says Tom Smith.

Texas Department of Insurance records show Craig Watkins is the "attorney" and his wife, Tanya is the "employee." Both renewed their escrow officer licenses last year. But on Watkins' 2007 and 2006 disclosure statements: again, nothing about his involvement in the title business.

In his written statement, Watkins says: "If FOX 4 believes some items may not have been reported on my 2007 and/or 2008 personal finance statement, please let me know what those items are as it would have been a mere oversight." FOX 4 had already told Watkins exactly what seems be missing from his disclosures, but he would not respond any further.
Watkins did report owning the actual, physical property of his title business, but Tom Smith says that's not full disclosure. "If you own an interest or represent to a state agency or county that you are the owner of a business then you need to make full disclosure on the personal financial disclosures to the state," says Smith.

Several weeks after FOX 4 asked for an explanation, and didn't get it, Craig Watkins did finally disclose owning the title business. In late August, he filed corrections to his personal finance statements for 2006, 2007, and 2008.

On one corrected financial statement and "good faith affidavit" to the Texas Ethics Commission, Watkins states: "my wife and I jointly own Fidelity National Title. Please include this in the section that requires that I report my interest in business ventures."
Watkins submitted another correction affidavit stating: "The notary stamp on my 2008 report was outdated. Please accept the notary stamp on this correction affidavit as a correction to the original stamp on the 2008 report."

Watkins did not file anything to address the discrepancies in the notary signatures.
The Texas Ethics Commission says it accepts all reports as being filed under oath and it cannot look in to any reporting discrepancies or take any action without a complaint.

Connecticut medical supply company suspended from Mecicaid program due to fraudulent claims

2008-10-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

CCH® Medicaid — 10/3/08

State fraud penalties imposed against DME provider, owner
The Supreme Court of Connecticut upheld the state agency's imposition of $178,053.28 in restitution and a five-year suspension from the Medicaid program for overpayments and fraudulent claims by a provider of oxygen equipment and supplies and an individual owner. The state agency terminated the supplier's provider agreement after determining that 74 percent of the supplier's audited claims had been overpaid and that some of the overpaid claims were based on altered documents.

The evidence of misconduct

The auditor randomly selected 93 of the 3,496 claims filed by the supplier during the two-year period of the audit. Of those, 69 contained at least one of 16 irregularities that resulted in overpayments, including failure to have a certificate of medical necessity on file, claiming payment for more oxygen than was authorized, overlapping dates of service, use of billing codes inconsistent with the documented services, and alteration of documents. The supplier's response to the termination notice admitted errors and sloppy bookkeeping but denied knowledge of any alterations of documents. Extrapolating from the 93 audit claims, the agency determined that the supplier had been overpaid $261,303.45. It offset $83,025.17 from funds owed to the supplier.

Read the rest of the story here: http://health.cch.com/news/medicaid/100308a.asp

Forensic spotlight cast on Bach's music

2008-10-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

Forensic spotlight cast on Bach's music
Friday, 3 October 2008 Anna Salleh

ABC

Debate surrounds how much Anna Magdalena contributed to her husband's music

The international forensic science community is set to examine the provocative theory that Johann Sebastian Bach's wife, Anna Magdalena, wrote some of the works attributed to the great composer.

Associate Professor Martin Jarvis of Charles Darwin University in Australia will present his research at the International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences in Melbourne next week.
"The scientific evidence says the way we understand the relationship between Johann Sebastian Bach and Anna Magdelena is not correct," says Jarvis.

He says Anna Magdalena is normally portrayed as a simple woman who was only good for having babies and accurately copying Bach's manuscripts.

"My conclusions may not be wholly accurate," he says. "But the way in which tradition has put Anna Magdalena into this pathetic role ... is rubbish."

Jarvis, who is artistic director of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra says ever since his student days at the Royal Academy of Music in London in the 1970s, he has thought the Bach Cello suites did not sound like Bach.

"Certainly in the first suite, the movements are short and very simple, in comparison with the first movement of the violin works," he says. "And I couldn't understand why."

Jarvis' interest was further piqued by the discovery of a note written on the cover of the cello suites manuscript, by its owner.

This is the first time that Jarvis is presenting his work to the forensic science community.
Dr Bryan Found of the The Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society has been assisting Jarvis with his analysis.

"On the surface of what I've seen it seems valid conclusions are being drawn," he says.

Found says Jarvis has uniquely linked forensics with musicology in his analysis and will have to get feedback and peer review by experts in both field.

Full news article: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/10/03/2381722.htm?site=science&topic=latest

Judge denies new trial for teacher

2008-10-03T10:18:00.001-05:00

Judge denies new trial for teacher
By: Linda Finarelli, Staff Writer
10/01/2008

Three anonymous letters calling into question the guilt of former Longstreth Elementary School teacher Susan Romanyszyn, who was convicted of 11 counts of terroristic threats in June, will have no impact on the verdict rendered against her.

Bucks County Court Judge Rea Boylan recently issued two rulings denying defense attorney Sara Webster's request for a new trial for Romanyszyn.Sentencing is now set for Nov. 2.

Romanyszyn, 46, of Warminster, was found guilty of terrorizing the school - scattering notes threatening to bomb the school and kill teachers and planting a fake bomb in a student's desk - between Oct. 11 and 19 of last year. The jury acquitted the then fourth-grade teacher of six counts of terrortistic threats and of a facsimile weapons of mass destruction charge.

Romanyszyn, who had previously taught math at Klinger Middle School for seven years and kindergarten at Longstreth for two, maintained her innocence during her testimony at trial and in comments following the verdict. Diagnosed with cancer following her arrest, she has been undergoing treatment since then.

Rest of the story:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20146500&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187834&rfi=6

Follow the story:
Teacher arrested
http://cbs13.com/national/Susan.Romanyszyn.Longstreth.2.643201.html

Teacher convicted: http://www.enews20.com/news_Teacher_Convicted_in_Threatening_Case_08854.html

Judge denies new trial
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20146500&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187834&rfi=6

Quogue Village Mayor trial date to be set

2008-10-02T23:39:00.000-05:00

Publication: The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press
Motz trial date could be set soon
By Vera Chinese Oct 1, 08 2:23 PM

A trial schedule could soon be set in the case involving Quogue Village Mayor George Motz, who was indicted last month on charges that he “cherry picked” profitable accounts for his Manhattan-based investment firm and then altered documents to impede the ensuing criminal investigation.

Mr. Motz, 66, and his attorney, G. Robert Gage, are expected to appear in federal court in Central Islip at noon this Friday, in front of U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt for a status conference. The conferences, which are pre-trial meetings, are used to discuss how a case is proceeding and to set a tentative schedule for future court dates.

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=170680

Follow the story from the beginning:

Mayor is indicted
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=164771

Trial date to be set
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=170680

Lawyers waiting on documents
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=172021

Defense agency rescinds whistleblower's gag order

2008-10-01T12:36:00.002-05:00

Defense agency rescinds whistleblower's gag order
By Robert Brodsky rbrodsky@govexec.com
September 26, 2008

The Defense Contract Audit Agency has rescinded a controversial, and possibly illegal, nondisclosure memo filed in 2007 against an agency whistleblower, Government Executive has learned.

Two days after a Sept. 10 hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in which lawmakers excoriated agency leaders for appearing to retaliate against employees who had raised concerns about suspicious contractor fees, DCAA lifted the year-old gag order against veteran auditor Diem-Thi Le.

In a Sept. 12 memo obtained by Government Executive, Jan Findley, branch manager of DCAA's Santa Ana, Calif., office, wrote that Le was now free to share agency records with the Office of Special Counsel or any other government investigator.

Find the rest of the story here:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41071&dcn=todaysnews

Miss Marple's final case: real-life crime mystery of late Oscar-winning actor

2008-09-30T23:20:00.000-05:00

Alan Travis The Guardian,
Tuesday September 30 2008

She was an Academy Award-winning character actor best known in later life for her flamboyant screen portrayal of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.

But after her death, Dame Margaret Rutherford became the victim of a crime mystery worthy of the spinster detective herself.

The case involved Rutherford's live-in companion, the disappearance of an Oscar, and a Fulham antiques dealer.

Rutherford, who played Miss Marple in four films between 1961 and 1964, appearing alongside her real-life husband, Stringer Davis, employed a down on her luck former soprano as a companion in her declining years.

Violet Lang-Davis lived at the couple's home in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, before Rutherford died in 1972. Lang-Davis, then in her 60s, stayed on to look after Rutherford's widower and grew so close to him that they contemplated marriage. But he died in August 1973 before they could tie the knot.

He left a will which bequeathed everything to his wife, even though she was dead. All the silver, china and furniture the grande dame of the English stage and screen had accumulated in her career was due to pass to Stringer Davis's distant cousin William James Davis. Lang-Davis was left nothing.

As Detective Sergeant Paul Hunter of the Gerrards Cross police told the director of public prosecutions: "She then embarked on a series of actions designed to secure the inheritance of the late Mr Davis," according to a Whitehall file released this month at the National Archives.
She went to see her old priest in Brook Green, west London, Father Joseph Williams, who had agreed to marry her and Davis. She left a copy of a will naming herself as sole beneficiary while Williams was out visiting parishioners. An accompanying note asked him to act as an executor and to forward it to the Rutherford family solicitors.

Read teh rest of the story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/30/2

No fraud found in voter registration

2008-09-28T15:31:00.002-05:00

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Cached link: http://74.125.113.104/search?q=cache:oc7srmc2Qj8J:www.keysnet.com/news/story/23716.html+Dodamead+also+voiced+concern+at+not+being+able+to+obtain+a+copy+of+his+own+records+and+that+a+handwriting+expert+was+not+used+in+the+case&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

No fraud found in voter registration
Keys man claims signature not his

By RYAN McCARTHY
rmccarthy@keynoter.com
Posted - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 07:01 AM EDT

The Monroe County State Attorney's Office has found no evidence of fraud in a Marathon man's voter registration records, though he disagrees.

After he voted in the primary in August, Tom Dodamead filed a complaint with the Supervisor of Elections Office, claiming the signature on a change-of-affiliation form with his information was not his. Dodamead says he did fill out a form changing his party from Independent to Democrat -- just not the one on file with the Elections office.

"I'm saying I didn't do it, that's the way I feel about it," Dodamead said, adding he has no plans to pursue the matter further.

"It's pretty stressful for me; I'd rather it just go away. I thought it was important enough to make sure it wasn't happening to anyone else," he said.

Well, investigators say it didn't happen to him.

They say no motive appears evident to tamper with the affiliation form because the party change was what Dodamead desired and the information on it is consistent with his other records.

"Had the contents of the two cards been different in any way, that might have suggested that some crime was being committed," State Attorney's Office spokesman Matthew Helmerich said.
"Results of the investigation indicate that although Mr. Dodamead believes his signature on the card in question was not his signature, it is," a State Attorney's Office report says. "Therefore, no evidence exists indicating a criminal act occurred."

The report cites a mark Dodamead uses when signing his name "indicating he is Thomas Emile Dodamead III." "That mark, on the card in question, is similar to the mark on his Florida driver's license record. This record contains four separate signatures of Mr. Dodamead," the report reads.

Dodamead said the information in the report was not what he was told by the State Attorney's Office.

"They just said they can't resolve it; they can't figure out who's telling the truth," he said.
Dodamead also voiced concern at not being able to obtain a copy of his own records and that a handwriting expert was not used in the case.

"It wasn't necessary to analyze the handwriting. There's a preponderance of evidence that says he was present with ID when both cards were filled out," Helmerich said of the card in question and the new one he filled out before voting in August.

"I didn't want this to turn into a big political issue. I just wanted to make sure it's not happening on a regular basis," Dodamead said.

Decision is Made on the Sharp County Wet/Dry Issue

2008-09-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

Decision is Made on the Sharp County Wet/Dry Issue
Posted: Sep 25, 2008 06:01 PM EDT

SHARP COUNTY, AR (KAIT) - Judge Philip G. Smith decided not to allow the wet/dry issue on the November ballot in Sharp County.

The decision came down late Thursday afternoon. In his decision, Judge Smith stated that if this alcohol issue was on the ballot, the votes would not be counted and would be null and void.
The needed signatures to get the item on the November ballot was 4,369 but after 461 were invalidated, the total number fell short of the requirement.

More on this on Region 8 News on KAIT and kait8.com.

Wet-dry case enters day 3

2008-09-24T19:29:00.000-05:00

Wet-dry case enters day 3
By Larry Stroud Guard Associate Editor
Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008

ASH FLAT — The excitement level dropped sharply in day two of a civil trial to determine whether voters get to choose wet or dry in Sharp County this November.

Tuesday, however, Sheriff Dale Weaver and other officers set up a metal detector in front of the courtroom because of a comment a Cave City woman had made on Monday, the first day of the trial. The woman was taken to the sheriff’s office, then released without charges, after being heard saying she would return the following day with a gun.

Weaver said he did not interview the woman himself, but the two officers who did said the woman was known to say things she didn’t mean and was not considered a threat.

The metal detector “door” through which spectators had to walk was set up anyway.

The first day of the trial found the courtroom packed with spectators, most of whom appeared passionate about one side or the other.

Circuit Judge Phil Smith ruled that day that the petitions to get the issue on the general election ballot substantially complied with state laws regarding local option elections. He said part of the structure of the petitions was incorrectly worded but said he did not feel that was a fatal flaw and could be fixed with “judicial directive” concerning the wording on the ballots.

He ruled that the issue will be on the ballot, because those had to be prepared in advance and work had to start on that by Tuesday. However, it remains to be seen whether the votes will be counted.

That depends on the validity of the signatures.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.guardonline.com/?q=node/48102

Man Charged In Series Of York County Robberies, Shootings Faces First Trial

2008-09-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

Man Charged In Series Of York County Robberies, Shootings Faces First Trial
To comment on this story, e-mail Greg Suskin.
POSTED: 6:43 pm EDT September 22, 2008
UPDATED: 6:44 pm EDT September 22, 2008

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- There was a tremendous sigh of relief after the February arrest of 20-year-old Phillip Watts Jr. Watts is charged with seven armed robberies in York County last winter. Four people were shot in those robberies, including two store clerks and two customers in Fort Mill, Rock Hill and York County.

Monday morning, the trial began for Watts, who police said confessed to all seven crimes and gave a detailed statement of how they happened, even telling police he was going to hit a store in the city of York next.

However, on Monday Watts took the stand in a pre-trial hearing and denied ever confessing to anything. He told the judge that he read about the robberies in the paper but didn't know anything about them.

He also claimed that the signature at the bottom of one of the signed police statements wasn't his.

Watts's mother, Valerie Dunham, told Eyewitness News that if her son said he didn't commit those crimes, then she believes him.

"He knows if he did it better than anyone," Dunham said. "He didn't do it. I didn't raise him like that, to tell lies."

Judge John Few asked that a handwriting expert be called in to study the two signatures.

Read teh entire article: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/17533174/detail.html

Typewriter Guru, Martin Tytell passes away

2008-09-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

obituary
Blue-ribbon repairman keyed typewriter's role
By Bruce Weber

The New York Times

Article Last Updated: 09/17/2008 02:20:56 AM MDT

NEW YORK — Martin Tytell, whose unmatched knowledge of typewriters was a boon to American spies during World War II, a tool for the defense lawyers for Alger Hiss, and a necessity for literary luminaries and perhaps tens of thousands of everyday scriveners who asked him to keep their Royals, Underwoods, Olivettis (and their computer-resistant pride) intact, died Thursday in the Bronx. He was 94.

The cause was cancer, said Pearl Tytell, his wife of 65 years. She said her husband also had Alzheimer's disease.

When he retired in 2000, Tytell had practiced his recently vanishing craft for 70 years. For most of that time, he rented, repaired, rebuilt, reconfigured and restored typewriters in a second-floor shop in Lower Manhattan, where a sign advertised "Psychoanalysis for Your Typewriter."
There, at Tytell Typewriter Co., he often worked seven days a week wearing a white lab coat and a bow tie, catering to customers such as writers Dorothy Parker and Richard Condon, newsmen David Brinkley and Harrison Salisbury, and political opponents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai E. Stevenson

In addition to his wife, Tytell is survived by a daughter, Pamela, of Paris, and a son, Peter, of Manhattan. Peter Tytell, who closed the store about a year after his father retired, is a forensic document examiner who frequently testifies in criminal trials, a natural offshoot of the family business.

see full obituary here: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10480659

Identity-Theft Victims Owed Duty of Care in Bank Fraud Investigations, N.J. Court Says

2008-09-15T14:48:00.001-05:00

Identity-Theft Victims Owed Duty of Care in Bank Fraud Investigations, N.J. Court Says

Mary Pat Gallagher
New Jersey Law Journal
September 11, 2008
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http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202424426977#

The article deals with identity theft & the duty a bank or credit union owes to the
party whose identity was stolen.

Quogue mayor indicted on fraud charges

2008-09-15T11:53:00.002-05:00

Publication: The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press
Quogue mayor indicted on fraud charges
By Vera Chinese
Sep 3, 08 10:37 AM

Quogue Village Mayor George Motz pleaded not guilty last Thursday afternoon, August 28, to charges that he “cherry-picked” profitable accounts for his Manhattan-based investment firm over a four-year period, and altered documents in an attempt to impede a subsequent investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr. Motz, who is the president and chief executive officer of Melhado, Flynn & Associates, entered his plea in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen A. Tomlinson in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, a day after he was indicted on the two criminal counts. Mr. Motz surrendered last Thursday morning to federal authorities, according to Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

The rest of the story: http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=164771

Follow the story from the beginning:

Mayor is indicted
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=164771

Trial date to be set
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=170680

Lawyers waiting on documents
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=172021

Convicted murderer appeals child starvation conviction

2008-09-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

Published September 14, 2008 05:21 am -
A man serving a life term in the 2003 starvation death of his daughter is appealing his conviction, alleging that some child welfare caseworkers’ documents were altered and others were destroyed.

Convicted murderer appeals child starvation conviction

KITTANNING (AP) — A man serving a life term in the 2003 starvation death of his daughter is appealing his conviction, alleging that some child welfare caseworkers’ documents were altered and others were destroyed.
James Tatar, 46, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 4-year-old Kristen Tatar, whose 11½-pound body was found stuffed into a picnic cooler put out for garbage collectors near her Armstrong County home in August 2003.
Tatar’s attorney, Jeffrey Miller, contends that a forensic document examiner determined that four documents from the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau, which had been working with Tatar’s parents, had been altered.

The rest of the story:
http://www.dailyitem.com/panews/local_story_258052136.html

Bomb warning prompts emergency landing

2008-09-13T15:44:00.002-05:00

Bomb warning prompts emergency landing

Essam Al Ghalib

Last Updated: September 11. 2008 11:21PM UAE / September 11. 2008 7:21PM GMT

A bomb hoax on an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah caused a red alert at Chittagong airport in Bangladesh on Wednesday.Bomb disposal experts, army personnel and fire officers met the plane carrying 81 passengers after a flight attendant found a handwritten note warning of a bomb on board. “There is a bomb set,” said the note written in Bengali left on a service tray, according to Air Arabia’s communications manager Housam Raydan.

A member of the flight crew who found the note asked a passenger to translate it for her. When its contents were revealed, she notified the captain who immediately alerted air traffic control of a possible emergency.The plane was given priority landing status at Chittagong and was towed to an unused part of the airport where it was searched, but no bomb was found. Upon landing all 81 passengers were asked to provide a handwriting sample and security personnel arrested a Bangladeshi man.

Full article: http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080911/NATIONAL/169508699/-1/NEWS

Caseworkers' documents altered in Tatar case, report says

2008-09-13T14:33:00.001-05:00

Caseworkers' documents altered in Tatar case, report says
By Renatta Signorini

TRIBUNE-REVIEW NEWS SERVICE

Saturday, September 13, 2008

A sworn statement from a caseworker and an expert's report that caseworkers' documents were altered were accepted into evidence Friday during an appeal hearing for an Armstrong County man serving a life sentence for the starvation death of his daughter.

Jeffrey Miller, the attorney for James Tatar, 46, of Parks Township, had asked that Judge Kenneth Valasek provide him with resources to bring the forensic document examiner, Albert H. Lyter, from North Carolina to testify. Miller also asked for a detective's help to find Pamela Walmsley, a caseworker who worked with 4-year-old Kristen Tatar and her parents before the girl's death in 2003.

Valasek instead permitted the statement and report be part of the record of an appeal hearing in which Tatar is seeking a new trial.

see full story: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/teenscene/s_588017.html

Two politicos charged in passport case

2008-09-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

Daily Mirror Front Page

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Two politicos charged in passport case

By T. Farook Thajudeen.

The CID filed charges before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court against two Western Provincial Councillors for allegedly aiding and abetting a person to obtain a passport on forged documents.

The CID filed charges against the two Provincial Councillors Andarage Don Gamini Thilakasiri of Katuwawala, Boralesgomuwa and Hector Bethmage of Talangama South, Battaramulla for aiding and abetting Karunapalage Nandana Jagath Kumara to prepare forged documents to obtain passport bearing no. N 165324.

Whole story:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=25971

Irish police demand handwriting samples after plane bomb hoax

2008-09-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

Irish police demand handwriting samples after plane bomb hoax

Monday, 8 September 2008

Gardai demanded handwriting samples from 223 passengers and nine crew members during a major security operation at Dublin Airport after a note was found on an Aer Lingus plane warning of a bomb on board.

The operation began at about 9.30am on Saturday when the transatlantic flight travelling from New York to Dublin landed at Dublin Airport.

One of the crew members on the flight had reported finding a paper towel in the toilet of the plane with a written warning that there was a bomb on board.

The plane landed and taxied to a secure location some distance away from the airport terminal and was secured by armed gardai.

Passengers disembarked and interviews were conducted in the terminal building. Passengers were asked to supply samples of handwriting.

Full article: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/irish-police-demand-handwriting-samples-after-plane-bomb-hoax-13963266.html

Who Owns Early Film Star's Oscar

2008-09-09T12:37:00.000-05:00

September 8, 2008 5:27 PM
Quinn Emanuel on Case of Who Owns Early Film Star's Oscar
Posted by Zach Lowe

How much is an Oscar worth on the private market? Experts have suggested the trophies can fetch anywhere between $500,000 and $1.5 million. And that's the kind of cash the descendants of Charles "Buddy" Rogers, the former husband of silent film star Mary Pickford, hope to fetch by selling the 1929 Best Actress statuette Pickford won for her role in Coquette, to raise proceeds for charity.

One catch: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences claims it has the right to buy the statue first--for $10.

A Los Angeles trial court judge gave the Academy its first victory in the case yesterday, ruling against the Rogers-Pickford team's motion for summary judgment and ordering the case to a jury trial.

Christopher Tayback of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges is representing the Academy. The firm is the Academy's regular outside counsel.

Mark Passin of Dreier Stein Kahan Browne Woods George, an entertainment litigation boutique, is representing the Rogers heirs.

The Academy established the $10 first-refusal rule in 1950, well after Pickford won her Best Actress award--the first ever given for a performance in a so-called talkie. Regardless of when she first received that Oscar, the Academy contends Pickford signed away her rights to sell it when she won an honorary Oscar in 1975. Passin says Pickford never signed any such agreement and has hired a handwriting expert who has filed a declaration with the court backing the heirs' claim. Quinn Emanuel disagrees, though Academy lawyers concede that an assistant may have signed on behalf of Pickford, who was in her mid-80s at the time. Either way, the agreement should hold up, Tayback argues.

Read teh rest of the story:
http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/09/quinn-emanuel-o.html

Teacher Convicted in Threatening Case

2008-07-04T08:28:00.002-05:00

Teacher Convicted in Threatening Case
By Marie Miller23:31, June 26th 2008

A split verdict was reached in the case of a fourth-grade teacher in Philadelphia who was accused of planting terrorist notes in the school where she worked.

The judge found Susan Romanyszyn guilty on eleven charges, but she was also acquitted on seven other.

Romanyszyn left threatening messages in the hallways of Longstreth Elementary School in the fall, while she worked as a teacher there, The Philadelphia Inquirer informs.

The notes read messages such as “You die today,” “Bomb today” and “I have a weapon and a knife.”

The rest of the story: http://www.enews20.com/news_Teacher_Convicted_in_Threatening_Case_08854.html

Follow the story:
Teacher arrested
http://cbs13.com/national/Susan.Romanyszyn.Longstreth.2.643201.html

Teacher convicted: http://www.enews20.com/news_Teacher_Convicted_in_Threatening_Case_08854.html

Judge denies new trial
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20146500&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187834&rfi=6

OU closed due to written threats found on campus

2008-04-13T15:59:00.000-05:00

04/13/2008
By STEVE STAEGER
Senior Reporter

Threats written on bathroom walls in two academic buildings and the Oakland Center have prompted university officials to close the campus until 7:00 a.m. Tuesday.

“Our crisis management team met early this morning to go over the facts,” said Sam Lucido, OU Chief of Police.

That team made the final decision to close the campus.

“Safety and security are the university’s highest priority and the decision to close campus is consistent with that philosophy,” Lucido said.

The closing comes after phone tips led police to discover a vague threat on the men’s bathroom wall in O’Dowd Hall, and another threat in a men’s room in the Oakland Center Saturday. An e-mail was sent to students after the first message was found and investigated.

full article: http://www.oaklandpostonline.com/read_article.php?id=278

Pa. Teacher arrested For Alleged School Threats

2008-02-12T11:22:00.002-05:00

Feb 1, 2008 3:45 am US/Pacific

Pa. Teacher Busted For Alleged School Threats

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) ― An elementary school teacher has been charged with terrorizing her own school with verbal and written threats.

Investigators said the apparently disgruntled educator made phone calls, left notes, and wrote threats on school walls, CBS station KYW-TV in Philadelphia reported.

Susan Romanyszyn, a former teacher at Longstreth Elementary School in Warminster, turned herself into authorities on Thursday. Romanyszyn has been charged with 17 counts of making terroristic threats.

Police said Romanyszyn left over a dozen threatening notes at the school. Police said she wrote on school walls and wrote "die" and "I will kill" on one occasion.

The rest of the story:
http://cbs13.com/national/Susan.Romanyszyn.Longstreth.2.643201.html

Follow the story:
Teacher arrested
http://cbs13.com/national/Susan.Romanyszyn.Longstreth.2.643201.html

Teacher convicted: http://www.enews20.com/news_Teacher_Convicted_in_Threatening_Case_08854.html

Judge denies new trial
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20146500&BRD=1306&PAG=461&dept_id=187834&rfi=6

Kathie Koppenhaver, FDE

2007-09-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

I travelled to Baltimore Md, this past weekend to attend Kathie Koppenhaver's Forensic Document Examiners Conference held at the BWI Marriott hotel.

I saw many of my colleagues from past conferences, and we picked up right where we left off.

Kathie talked to us about the image of an Expert Witness, how to dress, how to behave etc.

We learned about different court room displays and the pros and cons for each. We discussed jury books, computer/video projection, and static displays.

Bill showed us his lab setup, including his stereo microscope, and his magnifying cameras. He brought out his IR filter, and we all got to see if our camera was capable of seeing IR. MOst of the point & click digitals could see IR, but the more expensive cameras (like the Nikon D80 or the Canon Rebel) had a hot mirror in it which stops the camera from seeing Infrared.

We learned how to take requested writings from Bob Baier, who is an excellent speaker and document examiner.

Anne Smith, from Virginia, showed us a cool new program that lets you do measuring and statistical analysis with computer generated calipers, compasses, and protractors. The information is then exported into Excel, where formulas are used to get the statistical information.

Linda Hodges, from North Carolina, presented on book collection software called bookcollectorz. This software will allow you to scan in your books (via the ISBN) or it can go online and gather information using only the ISBN or Title. This is a program that will grow with any avid book collection.

A mock trial was held, and those not court qualified were able to get some experience and those who have been court qualified before, were able to hone their skills.

After the 2 day conference, Kathie was kind enough to invite everyone to her office, so we could see how she operated her business. A great time was had by all, and it was over in a flash.

We are already planning next year's conference--it is one you dont want to miss.

Miami Dade Police Training

2007-07-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

In June, I was fortunate enough to go to Miami for a week long training in their Forensic Digital Image Processing Workshop. Using Photoshop, we were taught how to legally enhance photos from crime scenes, as well as documents where the writing was obscured or marked through.

We were taught by Brian Dalrymple and Associates. Brian is from Canada and has many years experience working with photo enhancement.

Phil Sanfilippo and Rosa Holtz were the course coordinators. Phil is a member of Miami Dade Police Dept.

On the last day we did a mock trial and had an attorney come in and do the questioning. He was tough, but we learned quite a bit from him.

I am looking forward to going to more of the classes offered by Miami Dade Police.

Lawyer falsified emails and a memo in lawsuit

2007-06-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

Here is a recent news article on altered documents dated Jun 5, 2007:

Lawyer altered documents in Best Buy case
Company says attorney in alleged MSN scam case acted on his own

updated 6:03 p.m. ET, Tues., June. 5, 2007

SEATTLE - A lawyer for Best Buy Co. has acknowledged that he falsified e-mails and a memo before turning them over to plaintiffs in a nationwide class-action lawsuit — a development that could prompt the judge to find the company liable for tens of millions of dollars in damages.

King County Superior Court Judge Douglass A. North Jr. has previously scolded Best Buy for not being forthcoming with documents related to the case, so last month's revelations about the actions of Minneapolis attorney Timothy Block do not bode well for the company.
The lawsuit, filed in 2003, accuses Best Buy of signing up at least 100,000 customers for trial subscriptions to Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Internet service from 1999 to 2003, in many cases without their knowledge. Once the trial period ended, the customers began incurring credit card charges they had not approved.

to read the rest of the story follow this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19056379/

NADE Conference 2007

2007-05-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

Recently I went to the NADE Conference in Tucson, AZ. It was a week long seminar, with numerous speakers.
Some of the topics discussed were:
Forensic Photography
Print Procees Identification
Art and Artifact Forgery Identification
Decoding Printer information
Forgery Science
ASTM
Paper Analysis
Extreme Grips
Book Smarts

I met a few published document examiners such as Kathie Koppenhaver, Reed Hayes, Marcel Matley, and Dr Brian Found.

What I learned will be invaluable to me in my business of Forensic Document examination.

Reading Between the lines

2007-03-01T08:11:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to talk to a local reporter about my job as a Forensic Document Examiner.

My website is
http://www.forgerydocumentexaminer.com/

Christie & I sat in a coffee shop in Harrisburg, as we spoke. I have attached the article she wrote. I hope you enjoy & learn a little more about Forensic Document examination.

Reading between the Lines

Love of science and attention to detail make Hodges feel at home as a forensic document examiner.

By Christie Barlow (Cbarlow@independent tribune.com)

Most people don't pay attention to the junk email that shows up in their inbox.

But it's a good thing Linda Hodges did.

As a child Hodges spent time taking door handles apart and trying to put them back together. She wanted to figure out how they worked.

"I have to know how everything works," Hodges said. "Science is the unknown, when working with the unknown you have to find stuff out. I think that's the magic of it."

As far back as she can remember, she has always loved science.

She received her degree in electronics and was working as a web designer and newsletter editor before she received a career changing e-mail.

Out of the blue, she got an email about becoming a a forensic document examiner with a phone number to call for more information.

She called, and the job sounded like a fit for her.

Hodges enrolled in the School of Forensic Document examination two year apprenticeship program in 2006, and has been working ever since. The program teaches how to analyze handwriting and recognize characteristics in forgeries, Hodges said.

Looking at things like the angle, size, shape, & fluidity, Hodges can determine whether or not a signature was forged.

"There are certain ticks that people have that no matter how hard they try, they don't go away," Hodges said. "I study their handwriting and know that people have certain quirks."

During the two year apprenticeship, Hodges is required to review handwriting samples and perform various tests.

A test would involve a list of 10 different writing samples.

Each participant would write the same word in two different ways.

The forensic document examiner has to pick which two samples match each participant.

They do so by looking for small quirks and tells people have in their handwriting, Hodges said.

"No signature is exactly the same," Hodges said. "But there are quirks. I've written my name 25 times and it is always the same length; it's always the same height."

Now 6 months into her apprenticeship, Hodges has already started working on cases.

With the help of 15 to 20 other forensic document examiners, Hodges examines wills, marriages licenses, graffiti, threatening letters, forged checks, and any other document that some one has signed.

She compares handwriting samples to an alleged forgery and determines whether or not the signature is legitimate.

"The most interesting thing is looking at the signature and helping people," Hodges said. "Some people just want to know if you can tell the difference, and other people need to clear their name."

With identity theft becoming an increasing problem, there is a need for forensic document examiners, Hodges said.

Her goal is to become one of the top examiners in the area.

She wants to testify about important cases in court, but says she deals with largely with wills and forgeries right now.

"It's exciting," she said. "Every case is different, so it's not monotonous. It's a great career."

Two more cases solved

2007-01-31T23:07:00.000-05:00

During our tele conference, Bob Baier went over 2 cases.

We were introduced to measuring the height & width of letters.

Bob is a wonderful FDE who gives praise to others when they do an exceptional job. I look forward to working with Bob and learnign from him.

Document Examiner 007: Victim of Forgery??

2007-01-26T00:18:00.000-05:00

An awesome true life story about how a forensic document examiner helped someone find justice.

QDE vs HWA What are the differences?

2007-01-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

There is so much confusion on what a Questioned Document Examiner (QDE) does vs what a Handwriting Analyst (HWA) does. The QDE examines documents and verifies if the writing is the same. The HWA looks at handwritng to assess personality traits.

Being they are separate disciplines, the requirements are such that separate training and separate certifications to practice professionally are required. They are not interchangeable skills.

Document examiners do work involving analysis of the physical characteristics of writing. They determine who wrote what.

Document examiners may be called into court to testify as an "expert witness." They can be hired by either side to do that. However, many cases are settled long before they go to court. The important fact is that personality assessment is not a factor in their work.

Handwriting Analyts look at handwriting to find personality traits. The handwriting is analyzed to determine what personality traits show up in a given sample of handwriting. For example a lower case 't' with the bar crossed low on the stem is indicitave of low self esteem. The traits and their meaning are given to the writer.

Some QDE & HWA list themselves as handling both kinds of work. That is ok if they are trained and qualified in both.

QDE work is a science and more highly regarded by the public and is in greater demand because fraud & deceit are at an all time high.

Many feel HWA is is not a science, although many HWA would disagree.

National Handwriting Week - How safe is your mail?

2007-01-25T23:47:00.000-05:00

National Handwriting Week
How Safe is Your Mail? by Sandi Basye
(postal fraud, busted by forensic document examiner)

This is National Handwriting Week. To some this may not have much meaning, but to those who have been a victim of fraud and have been redeemed by a handwriting expert the dedication of such a week becomes meaningful. I am one of those redeemed victims. Allow me to explain. Question, how safe is your mail? Fraudulent mail transfers can cause more problems than you could ever imagine. Are you aware that anyone may put in a change of address for you? The post office does not require identification. The change can even be made through the mail or internet. Therefore, you would never be alerted to its existence until after the fact. Being a victim of this action has changed my life forever.

Read the rest of the article here

Ethics as a Document examiner

2007-01-25T23:15:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night I was on a teleconference about Ethics in the Forensic Document Examination industry.

Did you know:

A forensic document examiner is expected at all times to be: a non-advocate, non-bias, non-spurious, non-prejudice, impartial, skillful, informed, reputable, truthful, reliable, dedicated, publicized, thick-skinned, dynamic, qualified, an author, studious, competent, with integrity and wisdom, and of course ethical.

That is a lot of resonsibility & takes a lot of morel turpitude. It is almost the same standards by which we expect officers of the law, laywers, & judges to abide by....but that is another debate for another time.

We had a lot of tough questions posed to us, and as a Document examiner, we are held at a very high standard.

A word to everyone: Verify the INTEGRITY and the REPUTATION of anyone before giving them your money.

Discrimination in Handwriting

2007-01-15T23:48:00.001-05:00

Tonight a group of Doc examiners got together on a conference call.

We talked about Handwriting Identification and the underlying process in identification. We found out how handwriting identification is taught, & fundamental & significant differences in handwriting.

We also discussed different books to add to our library, and licensing issues for a few states.

Linda

Rendering Opinions

2006-11-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

I have 2 cases I am currently working on. One is from California, and the other one is from Texas. The questioned documents are copies, but with the proper equipment and some patience, I was able to render my opinion.

I used my light tracer II light box, Microsoft Powerpoint, Adobe Photoshop and a protractor to determine that the questioned documents were in fact forgeries.

Linda

Dawn went to Italy

2006-11-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine went to Italy, cant wait to hear about her trip.

Linda

Displaying Evidence in Court

2006-10-31T08:29:00.001-05:00

Last night I spoke with Teresa Deberry. She is so informative. She doesnt mind sharing what she learned.

We talked about

Court in general
Being on time
Knowing where the court room is
Deciding on displays to be used

There are many displays that we can use.

Some people use

jury books
power point presentations
story boards
overheads

It all depends on the case, & how big the court room is.

Linda

Our first case

2006-10-31T08:22:00.001-05:00

This post is a bit late, due to it being my birthday last week!!!!

Wednesday's class 10-25-06 was about our first case-- the ex wife's signature on a pre wedding agreement. The notary's signature was also questioned.

Bob Baier taught the class, and he pointed out a lot of things, many of which I found as well.
I came to the same conclusion as the original document examiner, Don Lehew, which felt good.

I am really looking forward to helping people with their document questions.

Preparing the Notorized report

2006-10-23T22:40:00.001-05:00

Hello again.

Tonight's guest was Teresa Deberry from Alabama. She helped us understand the importance of having our final reports notarized. We also learned the 5 items that have become a standard in the final report. With out these items, you may have difficulty in getting your report accepted.

On Wednesday, Bob Baier will go over a case.

Linda

Doc Exam Guide to the Justice System

2006-10-19T00:09:00.001-05:00

Tonight, We discussed how to write preliminary reports once we take a case. We learned how to protect the originals, and make copies of any & all documents, (both questioned and known) we receive.

We found out each case should be in a seperate folder labeled with information about that case, name of client, date, & how we received the documents.

The second half of the call, we discussed several key pieces of equipment we will be using during our examinations. We will be needing a light box, a microscope, a magnifying glass with and with out a light, a black light, an ultraviolet light, a ruler, compass, & a protractor.

Added to my wish list is the Mi Scope IR--a neat little portable microscope that attaches to your computer and has a zoom of 40 to 140. It also has an infared light, and it will take snapshots of your document similarities and differences.

Forensic Doc Exam Conference

2006-10-17T17:39:00.001-05:00

I just got back from Dallas Texas, where I attended an annual Forensic Document examination conference.

Dr Joe Alexander spoke on tools of the trade. Tools such as a microscope, loupes, magnifying glasses, the computer microscope (Mi scope), a document stand, and a digital camera.
Bob Baier spoke on creating a professional jury book

Of all the presentations, my favorites were Anne Smith who gave us brain teasers, finding forgeries in 20 secs or less, and Diana King who discussed Prescription forgeries.

I met a slew of wonderful people, and look forward to cultivationg the friendships I made.

New Career

2006-10-17T17:17:00.001-05:00

In August, I started on a new career.

Visit my site for more information: forgerydocumentexaminer.com