Articles by Bart Baggett.
Articles by Bart Baggett.
What’s The Difference Between a Handwriting Analyst and a Forensic Handwriting Expert? Most people don’t know the difference between a forensic handwriting expert and a handwriting analyst—and it’s not a small distinction. They are genuinely two separate fields, each with…
How Accurate Is Forensic Handwritten Analysis? This is a great question. First, let’s consider that handwriting analysis is allowed in court, and a judge will allow a trained expert to testify based on expert witness analysis. Clearly, there must be…
Is Handwriting Analysis a Real Science or Just an Opinion? Handwriting analysis—and forensic document examination more broadly—is often dismissed as subjective guesswork. But is that fair? The answer lies in understanding what expert opinion actually means in a court of…
What’s the Job of a Certified Handwriting Expert? Interesting question. That word, “handwriting expert,” has two meanings, so you have to be specific. Are you looking for a job as a certified forensic document examiner? That’s a person (like me)…
Can Handwriting Be Used as Legal Evidence in Court? Absolutely! In fact, the entire industry called forensic document examination is about using handwriting, as well as handwritten items and documents, as legal evidence in a court of law, criminal courts,…
Is Handwriting Analysis Still Used by the FBI? Absolutely. The FBI employs handwriting experts at Quantico, who are exceptionally well-trained and well-equipped. But you don’t hear much about the details of handwriting analysis in famous criminal cases, even when it…
How Do I Become a Handwriting Expert? A lot of people want to know how to become a forensic expert. The truth is, there are very few ways to become one. When I was coming up, you had to do…
Can a Forensic Handwriting Expert Testify in a Criminal Trial? Yes. A qualified forensic handwriting expert can testify in criminal court as an expert witness, offering an opinion on whether a document or signature is authentic. Absolutely. In fact, I…
Are Handwriting Experts Used in Courts? Of course they are. In fact, all kinds of experts are used in courts. It’s called an expert witness. An expert witness is different than a lay witness, who does not have a background…
What Does a Handwriting Expert Actually Do? Great question. And it’s interesting since I’ve been in this business for 30 years. The word “Handwriting Expert” actually has two meanings to the average person you talk to. Some people go,…