Triazolam, handwriting, and amnestic states: two cases

This paper presents a discussion of handwriting in the amnestic state through two case reports associated with the phenomenon of anterograde amnesia following the use of therapeutic doses of triazolam, a rapid acting oral sleep inducing benzodiazepine. The fact that an individual executing a contract or signing a document may have no recollection of the writing event has significant implications for the questioned document examiner and other forensic science specialists. Since the issue of amnestic states and handwriting has received little apparent discussion in the forensic science literature, this paper outlines a number of issues of concern to the forensic science specialist.