Just how reliable are handwriting comparisons?

Question

Okay, about a couple of years ago, someone left a written bomb threat in our bathroom, and left a backpack with pipes, wires, and a timer. It was determined to be just that--pipes, wires, and a timer.

Nevertheless, the authorities were outraged, and took handwriting samples from a few people at our work.

One of them commented to me that the police had him write in his natural handwriting--what's interesting is that the note was written in fake block/square lettering, you know, with the sharp segments and angles instead of the natural smooth curves and whatever.

We haven't heard anything since, but I was just curious, how can you compare natural writing to fake block lettering? Moreover, I'm assuming whoever wrote it was wearing gloves too, which would further distort the writing--so why didn't the police have everyone wear gloves and write in fake blocks?

Third, say an expert said "I think it was Jerry Jones!"...could that stand well in court being that he's compared two totally different styles of wrtiting? It's like comparing manuscript with cursive.

How reliable is all this?

Answer 1

Genuine questioned documents examiners don't pronounce that a writing was done by a particular person. The generally make statements like, "Consistent with..." and "Inconsistent with." And, of course, they can present the things they observed to reach those conclusions. It's generally useful for suggesting whether or not a suspect is worth considering. Fingerprints are, of course, provide more positive conclusions. They didn't ask everyone to wear gloves because the characteristics of a person's writing isn't much affected by that.  

Answer 2

This is only as reliable as the person doing the comparison.  The quality of the suspect writing and the submitted samples for comparison will limit the information your "expert" has to work with. Absent a specific, unique quality in either sample the best you would get is an "educated guess".  

Answer 3

I'd just let it go personally. Nothing seems to have been achieved.

Answer 4

honestly, its not very good detective work. maybe you should point this out to your local pd, or hire someone new to investigate... if this happened to me i'd be outraged! i dont think that the evidence would hold up in court... the jury would be a bunch of idiots to convict someone without a legit handwriting sample...