Steve,

What are your facts? Questioned document with writing that you have a good suspect for or a suspect to eliminate? Or do you want a personality/statement analysis?

The University of Houston sponsors the handwriting class all over Texas so you might check their rosters and I believe that my instructor (Mel Francis from Midland) actually teaches handwriting to the HPD and SO in specific classes to them.

Additionally, most of us join Forgery Investigators Assoc. of Texas. My directory shows some analysts in Houston and Pasadena that are both law enforcement and/or bank security personnel. If you want these names/contacts, email me at mhigthower@wilco.org

Check with Joe Vara, investigator in Harris County DA's Office...713-755-5800...

Melissa,

Thanks for the response. One of our sheriff's investigators advised me that he has a stalking situation in which they do have a suspect who is writing letters to the victim and they want to do a handwriting analysis to verify that it is the suspect's writing, so I assume that they have access to some known writing samples.
Thanks for your interest and assistance in this matter. Sincerely,
Steve Greene

Be sure to have your fingerprint examiner fumigate the letter. It is easy to get finger or palm prints off such letters.

That'll take care of the bugs, too.

Or, you could just spray some Ninhydrin on it.

Be sure to read Article 38.27, Tx.C.C.P. as you might build on a case on sand - " ... Proof by comparison only shall not be sufficient to establish the handwriting of a witness who denies his signature under oath."

I would also recommend finding the handwriting expert first and talk to him or her prior to processing for prints - some experts I have dealt with in the past will not render an opinion after some types of processing for prints as it smudges the ink, etc.

Good luck.

That's true. Investigators have brought me documents that were sprayed with Ninhydrin and they want a handwriting analysis. You can't do it!

You really can't do anything after Ninhydrin is used. Definitely have your expert view the original document first and make appropriate copies. Don't just make a copy for the expert. Handwriting experts like to see the original document to see pen lifts, pressure, disconnects, etc.

Don't worry - he/she will protect the document for possible fingerprints if you tell them that you want to Ninhydrin it later.

A.P. you're definitely on top of this one. I have had those pesky devils destroy many a good document. A mouse did some bad things to my sixth grade graduation certificate too. You can never be too careful.

I feel your pain, Martin.
If I had only fumigated that book report back in 11th grade, maybe those silverfish wouldn't have eaten it and I could have turned it in on time, Miss Portmann wouldn't have thought I was lying about the bugs eating my assignment; I might have gotten a high "D" or so, that would have elevated my GPA to about a 1.9; I might have gotten a call from Harvard; within a few years I could have been a Rhodes scholar and gone to another country and protested against our government, then become a real lawyer, then who knows, maybe the big house...not the calaboose, the other big house.

Yes, fumigation is the answer.