The examination of documents disputed in legal proceedings, including handwriting and signature comparison, detection of forgery and alteration, and analysis of inks, papers and machine-produced text. Albert S. Osborn founded the discipline as a science in North America, and handwriting comparison of the ransom notes was crucial evidence in the Lindbergh kidnapping trial.
Facts
What It ExaminesSourced to the subject's own accountDocuments whose authenticity or authorship is disputed: handwriting, signatures, alterations, obliterations, and the inks, papers and machines that produced them. 1 Formalized YearSourced to the subject's own accountDated to Albert S. Osborn's 1910 book Questioned Documents, generally credited with establishing the modern discipline. Known LimitationSourced to the subject's own accountHandwriting comparison remains a subjective judgment; trained examiners outperform laypeople, but conclusions depend on examiner competence rather than a validated statistical model. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Cases Where Used
Albert S. Osborn's comparison of the ransom notes with Hauptmann's handwriting was crucial evidence.
The killer's cipher letters and handwritten correspondence to newspapers made document and cipher analysis central to the long-running investigation.
Pioneered By
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