1. Skim the text and answer the questions:

1. What are the principal differences between Graphologists and Forensic Document Examiners?

2. What do they have in common?

2. Look at the handwriting analysis sample and determine if it was done by a graphologist or a forensic document examiner. Give your reasons.

Handwriting analysis of US President Obama reveals at least nine characteristics common place among previous world renown leaders of commerce, politics, and the arts.

• Large capital letters in signature show a healthy ego, confidence;

• An open loop on the letter h indicates a mind open to different philosophies;

• The short stem on the d's reveals an independent thinker;

• A figure-8 shaped g designates one with fluid thinking; and

• A clean letter о points out his openness and bluntness.

3. Think over the questions:

What do you prefer to be a graphologist or a forensic document examiner?

Where do you prefer to work?

TEXT 4

Read the text and decide on the heading.

Answer the comprehensive questions.

As you review the various forensic science careers, consider the unique career: forensic document examiner. If you become a document examiner, you will not conduct crime scene searches, street investigations, interviews, or interrogations. Document examiners are laboratory investigators — not field investigators — most of the time. But know this, as a document examiner you will not be bored. Be assured, you will not find your work routine or mechanical.

You will usually work your cases solo — just you and the documents. You will use your eyes, your intellect, your experience, and optical tools such as the stereo-binocular microscope and camera. Examining questioned documents is a personal and mostly subjective decision-making business. When the examiner’s name on the report is yours, you alone will be responsible for the findings and conclusions. And you will be expected to show judges and jurors why you believe you are right. And you will do it alone.

So as a forensic document examiner you will usually have two basic problems to resolve: (1) solving the evidence puzzle itself and (2) convincing judges and jurors that your opinions (conclusions) are correct.

A forensic document examiner studies all aspects of a document to determine its authenticity and origin, including handwriting, typewriting, fingerprinting, commercial printing, photocopies, inks and papers. Analysts look for clues that point to forgery. If found, analysts also try to determine where the forgery originated. Some of the most frequently examined documents examined by analysts include wills, medical records, loan agreements, contracts, checks, and letters that have no identified authors.

Forensic document examiners also testify as expert witnesses in court. A Forensic Document Examiner (also known as Questioned Document Examiner) discovers and develops evidence from a document or signature that can be used in a Court of Law. Forensic document examiners may cross and examine all forms of documents without losing any credibility in their testimony.

Here are some qualifications you will want to meet:

1. General qualifications: A Forensic Document Examiner must be a person of good moral character, high integrity, and good repute and must possess high ethical and professional standing.

2. Educational qualifications: A Forensic Document Examiner must have a sound basic education through the baccalaureate degree. The typical training period is two years of study and practical experience in an established questioned documents laboratory where the examiner trainee studies the basic literature, completes study projects, becomes familiar with the role of forensic sciences in general and questioned documents in particular as they relate to the legal system.

So, is it a career for you? Obviously, you will have to answer for yourself.