CHARLES M. SHURE, QDE, CDE, PE
Handwriting and Document Examiner

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
Graduated Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SB, MIT)

Since 1979 have independently and formally studied handwriting and document examination.  Completed a special course in Document Examination Techniques and Methodology taught by Raymond Rider, noted document examiner for over thirty years (deceased).  Understudied Mr. Rider for over one year.  Received certification.  Studied with Charles Gersin, nationally known document examiner and past president of the National Association of Document Examiners (deceased).

Completed classes and hands on training sessions at various seminars including annual meetings of the National Association of Document Examiners, the Association of Forensic Document Examiners and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.  Received a certificate of achievement for a document related investigative course on ultraviolet and infrared photographic techniques given by Eastman Kodak Company at Rochester, N.Y.

Completed courses on paper, ink, and typography at Northeastern University.  Has over thirty years of study in fields of document/macrophotography, early paper, counterfeit currency and graphics.  Studied business law at Boston University, plus evidence, expert witness testimony and related laws at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. seminars held at Suffolk Law School.

Attended corporate/professional society seminars and university post graduate courses, lectures and training programs covering various scientific measurement and laboratory techniques while employed as a Research and later Senior Research Engineer.  Studied contracts/contract administration while employed as Senior Contracts Administrator and later Manager/Director of Programs, Contracts and Administration for a national corporation.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Established Bradford Associates as a document examination firm in 1983.

Successfully performed a variety of authentications and comparative analyses for branches of federal, state and local government, police departments, public schools, courts, banks, insurance companies, attorneys, unions, a noted law school, universities, the judiciary, political candidates, individuals, and industries, including
examination of questioned documents for foreign branches of a multi-national corporation and the U.S. military.

Appointed document examiner for the Massachusetts Board of Registration in
Medicine. Has handled the following types of cases:  Disguised and anonymous writing, guided hand and assisted signatures, cross marks, tracing and simulated writing, questioned documents/signatures (deeds, wills, real estate agreements, insurance contracts, credit slips, etc.), typewriter additions and alterations, photocopy transfers, blind entries, medical records, ultraviolet (alterations/paper), infrared (underwriting/ink detections), political lists, dating, graffiti and medical entries.

Provided a unique study of attribution of historical documents.

Developed special techniques for the discovery of debossed entries and overwriting/overtyping.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Court qualified as a handwriting/document expert in Federal, District, Probate, Superior, and Land Courts within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Florida.  Testified professionally as an expert witness before a Grand Jury.

Qualified as a handwriting/document expert by the Election Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and at various union arbitration and other hearings.

Overall, testified over fifty times.

Document macro photography has been admitted to various courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and at other judicial proceedings.

RELATED EXPERIENCE:
1974-1982 Responsible for all aspects of graphics, photography, paper, and ink for a printing company.  

1968-1974 Responsible for all business, legal and contractual aspects of a multi-location commercial real estate corporation

1957-1967 Conducted research engineering studies.  Provided technical administrative and management assistance to various scientific and technical projects.

CLEARANCE:
SECRET CLEARANCE last held granted by the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office.

LICENSES:
Registered Professional Engineer, Mass. No. 9902.

TEACHING:
Conducted seminars in document examination for government agencies.  Designated seminar instructor of document examination for the Comprehensive Criminal Investigation Program of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council.

ORGANIZATIONS:
National Association of Document Examiners (NADE)
Vice President (1986-1988).  Life Member since 1996.

National Bureau of Document Examiners (NBDE)
Required court qualification (1984 to close - over ten years).

Massachusetts Police Fraudulent Check Association (1983-1994).

American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS).

National Stereoscopic Association.

Rotary Club of Needham, Massachusetts member for over ten years
(1983-1994).  Director (1987-1988).  Paul Harris Fellow.

OTHER:
Designed and developed custom modifications and specialized equipment used to examine documents.  Developed special techniques for the discovery of debossed entries and overwriting/overtyping.

PUBLICATIONS:
"Document Examiners' Equipment Choices (Source, Selection, Modification)", Journal of the National Association of Document Examiners, Volume II, No. 2, May 1990.

LIBRARY AND FACILITIES:
Comprehensive technical library on document examination and photography including hundreds of publications of NADE and other professional societies plus numerous current and earlier professional books.  A laboratory with full complement of viewing, measurement, photographic, ultraviolet, and infrared equipment plus office copiers, FAX, fireproof safe and an electronic security system.