Forgery, in law, making of a false writing with an intent to defraud. Writing, to be forgery, must either have legal significance or be commonly relied upon in business transactions. It need not be handwriting; the law of forgery covers printing, engraving, and typewriting as well.
Investigators analyze and compare various traits, such as the appearance of letters, of suspicious documents with known samples to help identify the author of the document. Investigators might also be asked to detect changes that may have occurred in an original document.
Presenting False Written Evidence is a crime under California Penal Code Section 132 PC and the broader offense of Preparing False Evidence is a crime pursuant to California Penal Code Section 134 PC.
Forgery is a serious offense, specifically defined under California Penal Code Section 470. California law considers various acts as forgery. These include counterfeiting documents, signing someone else's name without authorization, falsifying legal documents, or creating counterfeit currency.
California Penal Code § 470a PC makes it a crime to alter, falsify, forge or duplicate a driver's license or a government-issued identification card. Doing so is a felony punishable by up to three years in jail or prison.
The punishment for forgery varies from place to place. In most states, a person convicted of misdemeanor must face a jail sentence of at least one year. However, a conviction for felony must face an imprisonment more than one year.
Simple Forgery: The act of imitating someone else's signature for fraudulent or deceptive purposes. Simulated Forgery: A more sophisticated form where technology is used to duplicate the signature. Traced Forgery: Involves using a genuine signature as a template to create a forged one.
Forgery, in law, making of a false writing with an intent to defraud. Writing, to be forgery, must either have legal significance or be commonly relied upon in business transactions. It need not be handwriting; the law of forgery covers printing, engraving, and typewriting as well.