NCJ Number
218707
Date Published
January 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
In order to assist handwriting analysts in meeting the U.S. Supreme Court's "Daubert" criteria for the reliability of their expert testimony (publication, presentation, and peer review of theories and techniques on which testimony is based), this paper presents a limited bibliography about handwriting and the basis for its examination and identification.
Abstract
In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993), the U.S. Supreme Court's decision included criteria for judges to use when determining whether the testimony of an expert is reliable. One of these criteria is whether the theory or technique on which testimony is based has been published and subjected to peer review. Although the Court recognized that publication and peer review do not in themselves establish the reliability of a theory or technique, they increase the likelihood that substantive flaws in methodology will be exposed. The Court viewed publication and peer review as essential to obtaining general acceptance of a theory or technique in the relevant scientific community, which is another of the criteria for the reliability of expert testimony set forth in "Daubert." The 79-item bibliography presented in this paper contains articles that address the individuality of handwriting, twin studies, the physiology of handwriting, the frequency of occurrence of characteristics, and the proficiency of document examiners. Although this bibliography is not intended to be all-inclusive, it is a starting point for forensic document examiners at all levels of experience as they prepare for courtroom testimony. 2 references and a 79-item bibliography