Expert Details
Forensic Document Examination - Handwriting, Signatures, Document Fabrications
ID: 730354
Oregon, USA
The majority of cases submitted involve questioned signatures or handwriting. Specialized laboratory instruments are used to compare inks, recover indented writing, and examine fabricated, altered or obliterated documents.
Recent case examples include:
A document submitted by a client in which Expert established the client's signature was traced on a several million dollar mining contract.
A wrongful termination case litigated in Federal Court involved a document in which Expert proved a 'cut and paste' process of the employees signature by a supervisor.
A medical malpractice case was submitted. The doctor (defendant) testified during his deposition he had faxed the chart entry from his office rather than physically being present in the hospital to write the entries in the file. Expert recovered indentations of the chart notes on a subsequent page in the medical file of the patient, proving the doctor was physically present at the hospital when the notes were written.
Testimony was given for the prosecution in a murder trial in Texas. The signature of the victim on a document was proven to be a forgery. The defendant was convicted and believed to have murdered a total of four elderly people.
The most common type of case submission is related to wills and other estate documents.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1992 | Degree: BS | Subject: Criminal Justice and Sociology | Institution: University of Oregon |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1988 to 2012 | Employer: Private Practice | Title: Forensic Document Examiner | Department: |
Responsibilities:Private practice since retiring from the Eugene Police Department. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1976 to 2000 | Employer: Eugene Police Department | Title: Forensic Document Examiner | Department: |
Responsibilities:After serving in various positions, in 1988, expert began training as a forensic document examiner. |
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Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1976 to 2000 | Agency: Eugene Police Department | Role: Various positions, eventually the Forensic Document Examiner | Description: After serving in various positions, in 1988, Expert began a two and one half year apprenticeship training period in questioned documents. |
| Years: 1968 to 1972 | Agency: US Navy | Role: Electrician | Description: Served two tours of Vietnam aboard the aircraft carrier USS America. |
International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 2011 to 2011 | Country / Region: Jamaica | Summary: An on-site examination of documents at the Supreme Court in Kingston confirmed the signature in a contract was genuine. The opposing examiner prepared a report stating he did not believe the signature was genuine. After receiving Expert's report, listing several more known signature specimens that were used in his examination as well as including several signature images, the opposing examiner rescinded his opinion. |
| Years: 2011 to 2011 | Country / Region: Canada | Summary: Identified an employee of a large company as the writer of an anonymous note. |
| Years: 1998 to 1998 | Country / Region: Micronesia | Summary: An attorney needed confirmation on a signature written on a government issued document. |
| Years: 2012 to 2012 | Country / Region: Trinidad & St. Lucia | Summary: Full day training seminars were presented on both islands, attended by government and corporation security personnel. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE) Life Member – membership beginning in 1997 Past President – 2012 to 2014 Other Executive Committee positions – 2004 to 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Member since 1995 Fellow of the Questioned Document Section Southwest Association of Forensic Document Examiners (SWAFDE) Member since 1994 |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| American Board of Forensic Document Examiners – Certified since 2004. Past Treasurer for the ABFDE – 2011 to 2019 |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Publications and Papers: 6 |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Has testified in various State and Federal Courts over 100 times. His expert testimony has always been accepted by the courts. Court testimony given in the following jurisdictions: Federal Courts: California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington State Courts: Alaska, California, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Washington, Wyoming Foreign Courts: British Columbia, Canada Testimony given in over 130 cases. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Training sessions have been provided for a variety of law enforcement agencies and civic groups. The Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting has also contracted with Expert to conduct seminars in the Caribbean and South America. Regular attendance at training conferences and workshops of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Questioned Document Section and the Southwest Association of Forensic Document Examiners. 1991: Two-week mentorship at the US Postal Inspection Laboratory, San Bruno, CA. 1989: Attended the two-week USSS Questioned Document Course at the Federal Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA. 1988 – 1990: Two and one-half year apprenticeship at the Eugene OR Police Department. Annual Proficiency Testing: Collaborative Testing Service, Sterling, VA. 2006 - 2019 Training provided: Full day seminars to private and government security personnel, sponsored by the Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting, at: Port of Spain, Trinidad, Castries, St. Lucia Workshops were presented several times to the Oregon Association of Licensed Investigators at their annual conferences. |