Complexity, Features, and Comparisons in Forensic Handwriting Examination

ABSTRACT This article describes the approach and methodology utilized by forensic handwriting examiners (FHEs) in analyzing and comparing handwriting and signatures, with a focus on assessing complexity and characterizing features. This is one part of the handwriting examination process where the ultimate goal is to express an authorship opinion. The perceived complexity of handwriting by FHEs is a critical element in the examination process. It relates to the examiner's judgment of both the ease with which a handwriting sample might be simulated, and the possibility of a chance correspondence of features between two and more samples of writing written by different individuals. This assessment is relevant as part of both the pre‐analysis and evaluation stages of an examination. A broader set of features is also defined, comprising construction, spatial, and line quality features. Both habits and variations are noted. These are used to determine whether there are similarities or dissimilarities between two and more samples being compared.