A. Frank Hicks

Curriculum Vitae

I am certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE). I served as a Director on that board from 1994 through 2001 and as President from 1999 through 2001. From 1998 through 2000, I was the ABFDE representative on the Scientific Working Group for Document Examination. I am a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners and a Fellow in the Questioned Document Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. I am a Charter Member and past President of both the Southeastern Association of Forenisc Document Examiners and the Mississippi Division of the International Association for Identification.

I graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science. A ten-week summer internship, which was part of the degree program was fulfilled in the Questioned Document Section of the Georgia Crime Laboratory in Atlanta. After graduation, in January 1977, I returned to the Georgia Crime Laboratory and continued my training in the field of Questioned Documents until April of 1978. At that time, I returned to Mississippi to start the Questioned Documents Section in the Mississippi Crime Laboratory. I remained in charge of that section until my retirement in August of 2002. At the time of my retirement, the section consisted of myself and two other examiners, both of whom were trained by me. I have testified as an expert in my specialty in both civil and criminal cases in local, state and federal courts.

In August, 2002, I relocated to Long Beach, CA, to enter into full-time Private Practice for the Examination of Questioned Documents in association with Howard C. Rile, Jr. Our office/laboratory is equipped with the full range of scientific instruments needed to conduct the proper examinations of documentary evidence. We also have a reference library consisting of many text books and over 1300 published and unpublished papers and articles pertaining to the field of Forensic Document Examination.

A more detailed listing of the papers I have presented and those I have had published, plus my teaching opportunities, is available upon request. Also, a Federal Rule 26 listing of prior testimonies is available. 

Phone, Fax and e-mail inquiries are welcome.