When Evidence is on the Line
by Ruth Brayer
Written report. When the examination is complete, the security manager should receive a written report that outlines the expert's conclusions, including the level of confidence that the expert has in the drawn conclusion.
Although each examiner is different, there are generally five levels of certainty that can be given: identification, in which the examiner believes he or she has identified the writer of a letter or forgery beyond any doubt; strong probability, in which the conclusion is certain beyond a reasonable doubt; probability, in which the handwriting examiner has a high degree of certainty; indications, in which there is a reasonable degree of certainty that the writer has been identified; and no conclusion. Most conclusions fall in one of the middle three categories.
The level of certainty expressed by the handwriting expert should not alter how the security manager completes his or her investigation. Unless the examination reaches no conclusion, the investigator should use the evidence to confront the suspect.
In most cases, guilty suspects will confess when told that a handwriting expert has matched their handwriting with a suspect letter or forgery. However, the level of certainty can come into play if the case goes to court. The handwriting examination should, of course, be only one of the pieces of evidence on which the company bases its conclusion. The security manager should not ignore the possibility that a suspect who maintains his or her innocence may indeed be innocent.
Like any science, there are limitations to handwriting examination. But with sufficient evidence provided by the security manager, handwriting examination can give investigators what they need to make the guilty party see the writing on the wall - and confess.
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End of "When Evidence is on the Line"
Ruth Brayer is president of Brayer Handwriting International, a consultingfirm based in New York City. She is qualified by the Supreme Court of the State of New York and is a consultant for the New York City Department of Investigation. Her e-mail address is info@antiforgery.com. Brayer's telephone number is 212-755-7884. Comments about this article can be e-mailed to the editor: sharowitz@asisonline.org.
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