Fingerprint Evidence Expert Witnesses

As a Board-Certified Forensic Document Examiner (D-ABFDE) and Ink Chemist and Document Dating Specialist with over 33 years of experience, both Todd Welch and Gerry Laporte are world leaders in high-profile, extremely complex document cases.

Riley Welch LaPorte & Associates is the leading global forensic document firm, having conducted high-profile, multi-billion-dollar cases in the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, Hungary, Israel, Switzerland, and Denmark. We are considered a top-tier firm, having conducted work for foreign governments, and are recognized globally by the most prominent law firms in the world for providing the highest level of forensic document examination services to both governmental and private entities.

Areas of Expertise:

Committed to fostering education and promoting justice, both Todd Welch and Gerry Laporte contribute to the advancement of forensic science through leadership roles, including service on the BOD for the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners and American Society of Questioned Document Examiners; served as the 40th President of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (Welch); and served as members of the National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Technology Working Group.

Both Todd Welch and Gerry Laporte have testified as expert witnesses in numerous notable international ICSID cases (ICSID Case No ARB/06/8, ICSID Case No ARB/14/22, PCA Arbitration Case No 2020-21_The Hague) involving forensic document examination, handwriting analysis, ink dating, and forgery detection.

Their litigation support experience includes testifying before government officials, international tribunals, arbitrations, and mediations. Their testimony has been presented in courts worldwide handling a wide variety of legal matters including: defamation, investment law, insurance law, medical malpractice suits, will disputes, estate disputes, contract and patent disputes, trademark disputes, divorce disputes, and trade secrets cases.

Gerry Laporte and Todd Welch have international notoriety and have testified in major courts such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) under UNCITRAL Rules, the International Criminal Court (ICC), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and appellate courts in Illinois and Washington, D.C., among others. Their involvement in high-stakes litigation across multiple geographical jurisdictions confirms their reputation and widespread professional acceptance worldwide.

Jennifer L. Naso is a board-certified Forensic Document Examiner with over two decades of experience in forensic science and questioned document examination. She has served as a Forensic Document Examiner with Riley, Welch, LaPorte & Associates since 2011, where she conducts examinations involving handwriting identification, signature authenticity, document alterations, indented writing, obliterations, document authentication, printing processes, and other aspects of forensic document analysis. In addition to conducting casework, she provides technical reviews of examinations completed by other forensic document examiners.

Prior to joining Riley, Welch, LaPorte & Associates, Ms. Naso served as a Document Analyst with the United States Secret Service (USSS), where she successfully completed the agency's rigorous Questioned Document Examiner Training Program. During her tenure with the Secret Service, she conducted examinations in support of criminal investigations involving handwriting, questioned documents, and counterfeit materials. 

Robert J. May has a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, with experience in Forensic Analysis, Executive-level Management, and Quality Assurance. He is a Latent Print Examiner with nearly 25 years of experience and has been a consultant with Riley, Welch, LaPorte and Associates for roughly 20 years.

Litigation Support - Mr. May has conducted latent print casework and technical reviews across the United States and beyond, having been qualified as an expert witness across multiple jurisdictions. He provides clear, accessible expert testimony, affidavits, and consultation to attorneys, investigators, and courts, translating complex latent print, crime scene, and forensic imaging issues into opinions that can be understood and evaluated by judges and juries. Mr. May has never been excluded as an expert or from testifying as an expert witness in any County, State, Federal, Arbitration or Administrative proceeding. 

Areas of Expertise:

• The Use of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)
• Fingerprint Comparison and Identification Methodology
• Digital Enhancement Techniques
• Crime Scene Processing
• Evidence Processing and Documentation Using a Variety of Physical and Chemical Techniques
• Latent Print Visualization Using Alternate Light Sources and Lasers
• Subject Matter Expert in Digital Photography (taught crime scene and general photography for multiple agencies)

In addition to technical acumen in his forensic specialties, as a Laboratory Executive, Mr. May is a recognized leader in the forensic community. He has served as a laboratory director across multiple systems, with broad knowledge of lab operations, facility design, policy development, budgeting, human resources, metrics, process evaluation, and more.

Background Experience - Mr. May has a diverse background in both forensics and law enforcement. Prior to his current position as the Crime Lab Manager for the Corpus Christi (TX) Police Department’s Forensic Services Division, Mr. May spent 26 years as a trooper with the Michigan State Police, one of the nation’s premier law-enforcement agencies. Aside from considerable knowledge of general investigations and law-enforcement operations, his deepest expertise, and greatest passion, lies with forensic science. Mr. May spent most of his career within the MSP Forensic Science Division, beginning as a technical expert in latent prints, crime scene investigation, and forensic photography. He rose to the position of supervisor in latent prints and was ultimately promoted to laboratory director at the Sterling Heights Laboratory in Metro Detroit. He retired in 2020 as a decorated command officer with multiple commendations to his name, including awards for professional excellence and lifesaving, among others.

Kirk DeLeeuw is a highly regarded and accomplished Forensic Biology and DNA Consultant / Expert Witness both nationally and internationally. He has over 20 years of dedicated experience in Molecular Biology and Forensic Science and is well respected worldwide.

Mr. DeLeeuw's career is defined by a deep technical mastery of DNA analysis, including specialized expertise in interpreting complex multi-contributor samples using Probabilistic Genotyping Software (PGS) such as STRmix. Mr. DeLeeuw is licensed by the Texas Forensic Science Commission. He likewise has a comprehensive understanding of FBI Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation requirements. He applies the standards through meticulous auditing of case files, bench notes, and high-volume electronic data files and images.

Litigation Support - Beyond the laboratory, Mr. DeLeeuw is a seasoned Expert Witness, qualified to provide testimony in Body Fluid Identification / Serology and DNA Analysis across numerous jurisdictions. He has provided sworn affidavits and oral testimony in federal, circuit, and district courts in many states including Washington DC, and internationally in the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands. His ability to translate sophisticated molecular biology data into clear, accessible testimony ensures that scientific integrity remains paramount during both civil and criminal litigations.

Mr. DeLeeuw maintains technical proficiency through a rigorous commitment to continuing education, frequently attending the International Symposium on Human Identification and National CODIS Conferences. His hands-on experience spans a wide array of instrumentation, including Applied Biosystems Genetic Analyzers and Hamilton robotic workstations, as well as various quantification and amplification kits. This combination of technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and proven courtroom experience allows him to provide unparalleled oversight and analysis in the field of forensic DNA.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Mr. DeLeeuw's extensive professional background includes high-level roles across private and public sectors. As a Forensic DNA Analyst at DNA Labs International, he analyzed casework from across the United States and internationally, utilizing advanced PCR/STR-based methods and various chemistries. Prior to that, he served for nearly 20 years as a Forensic Scientist for the Michigan State Police.

Mr. V C Misra is a leading Forensic Handwriting, Finger Print and Document Examiner with over 21 years of experience. He has solved and given opinion on thousands of cases in India, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, South Africa and UAE. Mr. Misra's Expertise Includes:

• Examination of Handwriting, Signatures, Fraudulent Additions and Alterations
• Approximate Age of Documents
• Photo Static and Scanned Transplantations of Signatures
• Traced, Freehand and Impersonation Forgeries
• Denial of Normal or Disguised (Changed) Signatures
• Anonymous Letters
• Body Writings on Account Opening Forms
• Denial of Withdrawal of Money
• Development of Latent Finger or Palm Prints from the Cheques
• Bank Documents by Ninhydrin (Chemical) Method Used for Impression Sweat on Paper
• Opinions on Folds
• Sequence of Strokes and Distinction Between Inks
• Insertion of Typed or Printed Matter
• Fake Currency Notes
• Credit Card Forgeries
• Identification of Computer Typed Documents
• Fake Seals and Rubber Stamps

Mr. Misra's Expert Opinion is Available in the Following Languages: English; French; German; Russian; Spanish; Hindi; Gujarati; Urdu; Marathi; Regional Languages of India or Abroad. Clients Include:

• Foundation Fingerprint Course
• Intermediate Fingerprint Course
• Advanced Fingerprint Course
• Scene Examiner
• Trained as Crime Scene Manager
• FERRT (Forensic Evidence Recovery and Retrieval Techniques) Trained

• Criminal Cases - Perform a comparison of an identified case and offer an independent analysis of the identification. Offer evidence to advise the Defense on related fingerprint matters.
• Immigration - Provide an impartial comparison of sets of fingerprints in dispute and provide an independent report into the comparison.
• Civil Cases - Assist Courts and Tribunals throughout the UK and abroad on issues involving contracts, wills and covenants.
• International Electoral Services - analyze ballot slips for duplicate or multiple thumb impressions.
• Fingerprint Development - developed fingermarks are photographed in line with published guidelines which allow for "cradle to grave" service.