On June 27, 2015 Michael Wakshull, forensic document examiner and president of Q9 Consulting, Inc. (www.quality9.com) is presenting four one-hour seminars on the topic of forensic document examination. The presentations are the forensics tract at the California Alliance of Paralegal Association's (www.caparalegal.org) annual conference. The conference is at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, CA. Each seminar will earn one hour of MCLE credit. Attendees who attend all four hours will earn three hours general MCLE and one hour of ethics MCLE credit.
The subjects are:
An overview of forensic document examination
The basic information about forensic document examination. Terminology, standards and best practices used by forensic document examiners is defined. Reasons for not using terms such as forgery and fraud are explained. Forensic Document Examination is also known as Questioned Document Examination. An overview of laboratory equipment used by document examiners is presented. Generally accepted practices, scientific approach and use of a computer and digital equipment are described.
Authentication of Handwriting
The majority of work performed by a forensic document examiner is authentication of handwriting. The majority of this work is authentication of signatures. Advances in computer software has made this work more accurate than in prior times. This work often requires skill in matching patterns of writing. The underlying basis for handwriting comparison is learning the different ways a person writes across writing sessions. The forensic document examiner examines the writing in question to learn whether it fits within the patterns observed in the person's known writing.
Altered documents and other topics in forensic document examination
Forensic document examiners are asked to determine whether a document has been altered. This topic includes use of alternate light sources, special equipment to discover indented writing, seeing through cross-outs and white-out.
You want to hire a document examiner
Have you or your attorney retained an expert witness who sounded great, knew the right words to get hired, then turned into a disaster? What happened up front that caused this result?
This seminar introduces the legal professional to methods for interviewing a prospective document examiner, or other prospective expert witness. You learn how to properly vet your prospective expert. Use social media to learn the true background of your prospective documents examiner. Successfully cross-examiner an opposing examiner.
About the Author: Michael Wakshull, president of Q9 Consulting, is a civil and criminal court-qualified forensic document examiner providing services throughout the U.S.A. Cases include authentication of handwritten and computer-generated documents. Wakshull holds a Master of Science in technology management, a graduate school certificate in forensic document examination and has spoken at international forensics conferences including the World Congress of Forensics in China. He authors and presents document examination courses for minimum continuing legal education (MCLE). Wakshull is a member of the National Association of Document Examiners, past president of the San Diego Chapter of Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA), ASTM International, and a senior member of the American Society for Quality.
Mike has authored two books on the topic of forensic document examination.
A National Speakers Association member, he is available to speak on these subjects.