CURRICULUM VITAE

I am, Brenda Petty, a Forensic Document Examiner. I have studied for 5 years, completed a two year Forensic Document Examiner study course with Handwriting University and have apprenticed under some of the leading court-qualified Forensic Document Experts in the country such as: C. L. Baggett, Texas; Bart Baggett, California; and Don Lehew, Texas.

Forensic Examination Provided For:

Disputed documents or signatures including: wills, checks, contracts, deeds, account ledgers, medical records, and autograph authentication. Investigation and analysis including: questioned signatures, suspect documents, forgeries, identity theft, anonymous letters, alterations, obliterations, erasures, typewritten documents, altered medical records, graffiti, handwritten numbers, and computerized and handwritten documents.

Education:

• School of Forensic Document Examination, Dallas, TX; Forensic Document Examination
• Associate of Handwriting Services International
• American Institute of Applied Science

Further Qualifications:

I have reviewed numerous signatures and handwritings, examined case documents and rendered opinions on approximately 100 cases throughout the United States.

Laboratory Equipment used for examination:

Numerous magnifying devices including 30x, 20x and 10x loupes, light box, protractor, calipers, metric measuring devices, slope protractor, digital photography equipment, Dell Computer, a high resolution printer, scanner, facsimile machine, copy machine, and transparencies. I have access to a microscope.

Specific Areas of Training:

• Handwriting Identification and Discrimination
• Signature Comparison
• Techniques for Distinguishing Forged Signatures
• Disguised Handwriting
• Altered Numbers
• Anonymous Writing
• Laboratory Procedures
• Forensic Microscopy and Forensic Photography
• Identifying Printing Methods
• Papers and Watermarks
• Factors that Affect Writing
• Demonstrative Evidence Training
• Demonstrative Evidence in the High-Tech World
• Forgery Detection Techniques
• Detection of Forged Checks
• Document Image Enhancement
• Graphic Basis for Handwriting Comparison
• Ethics in Business and the Legal System
• Mock Courtroom Trials
  

Library:

Numerous forensic document examination titles and other handwriting reference materials, including but not limited to: Handwriting Identification: Facts and Fundamentals by Roy A. Huber and A.M. Headrick; and The Document Examiner's Guide To The Justice System by Ray Walker.Document Examiner Textbook and Expert Witness Manual by Jess E. Dines.

Conferences Attended:

• 20 hours: School of Forensic Document Examination Training Conference, Dallas, TX
• 20 hours: Advanced Handwriting Training Conference, Dallas, TX
• 8 hours: White Collar Crime Summit with Frank Abagnale as guest speaker, 2009

Professional Affiliations:

Member of National Association of Professional Women

(I choose to not join any fee-based document examiner organizations.)