§ 18.2-172. Any person who shall obtain, by any false pretense or , the signature of another person, to any such writing, with intent to defraud any other person, shall be deemed guilty of the forgery thereof, and shall be subject to like punishment.
The first two degrees are felonies and the third degree amounts to a misdemeanor. The first degree forgery involves the actual presentation or use of any falsely made, altered or possessed document with the intent to deceive or defraud. The second degree forgery does not require use or presentation of the documents.
Simple Forgery This type of forgery is the easiest to detect because the forger makes no effort to simulate the signature they are trying to produce. Because the signature is generally written in the forger's own handwriting, it could be identified through a handwriting comparison.
Articulating Mistakes in Prosecution's Case — The burden is on the prosecution to prove you committed forgery and had the intent to defraud. They must prove each and every element of the forgery beyond a reasonable doubt.
Forgery can refer to a completely fabricated document or a document that has been altered to show fraudulent information. Forging or counterfeiting a document is a criminal offense, as is knowingly using or possessing a forged or counterfeit document.
Winning a Forgery Trial Articulating Mistakes in Prosecution's Case — The burden is on the prosecution to prove you committed forgery and had the intent to defraud. They must prove each and every element of the forgery beyond a reasonable doubt.
On the criminal side of things, you were right to contact law enforcement. They can investigate and , if they have proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, prosecute. On the civil side of things, you can sue the other person for any damages that you suffered as a result of the forgery.
Proving forgery in court can be challenging since it often requires the testimony of an expert who has conducted a detailed examination of various elements of a document, such as the paper, they typed fonts, the date, handwriting and time sequences all in the context of the content of the document.
Forgeries start as fifth-degree felonies, punishable by 6 to 12 months of incarceration and a $2,500 fine. These offenses include forgeries involving less than $7,500 or, if the victim is an elderly or disabled adult, less than $100.