Expert witness and forensic document examiner qualifications

What document examiner qualifications does your forensic document examiner hold? In a recent court trial, the opposing document examiner said my methodology differed from that used for the last 50 years. I agreed with him. The methodology I used applied modern computer technology to the case. The attorney who retained me successfully defended the case that turned on the authenticity of a signature.
In another case, the opposing examiner said that in the 1980’s, he worked with the former FBI document examiner from whom I learned the techniques used in the case. Therefore, he said my technique using Photoshop was not valid because they did not use that technique when they worked together. Photoshop did not exist in the 1980’s. I learned the techniques in a two-day seminar taken in 2010. The former FBI forensic document examiner had written a book about using Photoshop techniques to examine questioned documents.
I have been qualified as an expert witness in California Superior Courts and Federal District Court. My testimony has been accepted more than 40 times in cases involving signatures a will contest, contract dispute, altered documents and others. Questioned documents discovered include an altered deed, cut-and-paste signatures, altered mortgage documents, altered handwritten documents, electronic documents, and many other types of questioned documents. I have discovered falsified mortgage documents.
Since the 1980’s I have studied the science and discipline of forensic document examination and handwriting analysis. I am one of a handful of forensic document examiners with a graduate school certificate in forensic document examination from an accredited university.

Examiner Qualifications

• Customer-focused approach to his work

• Graduate school certificate in forensic document examination

• Uses technology to communicate with clients

• Court qualified expert witness in San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties, California and Federal District Court. I have testified in civil and criminal cases.

• Has worked cases in 23 states and four countries

• Author of three books about forensic document examination

• Uses a science-based approach to questioned document examination

• Knowledgeable in the science of variability

• Certified Quality Engineer

• Skilled at preparation of expert witness reports and exhibits

• Presents at international forensics conferences and local seminars

• Attends at least two professional forensics conferences each year

• Chair for the 2012 National Association of Document Examiners (NADE) conference in San Diego, California

• Skilled presenter of more than 150 corporate training classes

• Toastmasters Advanced Communicator Silver and former club president

Examiner qualifications include being approved on Government Expert Witness Lists

• Superior Court of California Los Angeles County Expert Witness Panel

• Riverside County Public Defender’s office

Professional certifications

Mike holds professional certifications that bring unique skills to your case. In order to maintain up-to-date knowledge of the field of forensic document examination, he attends a minimum of two conferences each year.

Extensive Research Library

• More than 50 text books on document examination

• More than 30 texts on the legal aspects of forensic science

• USA Secret Service forensic document examination course

• La Trobe University Forensic Document Examination course

• Hundreds of professional journal articles