Roy Moore's lawyer says that the bizarre yearbook inscription is forged - here's why

The lawyer representing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore told the media in a news conference Wednesday that the bizarre yearbook inscription attributed to his client needed to be analyzed by a handwriting expert. Phillip Jauregui went on to imply that the signature was forged.

Here's what he said:

"There are a couple of things you need to look at. Look at the '1977' after 'Merry Christmas,' look at those two sevens," Jauregui told the media assembled. "And then look below at the '77' and I want to ask you do you think it was written by the same person?"

"I want you to look at 'old hickory house,' which they say Judge Moore wrote," he continued. "Judge Moore there's no way in the world that's his handwriting. And I want you to look at it, look at some other handwriting of his, make your own determination, that's what our expert will be doing, but for now, I'm asking you all to take a look. Use your judgment."

"And then finally, after Judge Moore's signature it has the initials capital D period, A period," he continued. "Remember when I told you about that '99 divorce action? Judge Moore looked at that "D.A." after his signature which they allege was because he was the district attorney, well he wasn't, he was the assistant district attorney."

"But Judge Moore says he can't ever remember signing his name with "D.A." after it, but he had seen it before," he explained. "You know where he had seen it? When he was on the bench, his assistant, whose initials are capital D period, A period, Delber Adams, would stamp his signature on documents and then put capital D period, A period. That's exactly how the signature appears on the divorce decree that Judge Moore signed, dismissing the divorce action with Ms. Nelson."

"Knowing these things, I have a question, Gloria Allred and Ms. Nelson, do you still hold that everything written in that yearbook was written by Judge Moore, or was it written by someone else?" he asked pointedly. "That's not an allegation, that's a question."

"And finally we demand that you immediately release the yearbook to a neutral custodian," he said, "so that our expert can look at it."

Here's the video of Moore's lawyer:

What's the big deal about the yearbook?

The existence of the inscription in the yearbook bolstered the victim's claims that Moore was attracted to her even though she was underage. The inscription reads, "To a sweeter more beautiful girl I could not say Merry Christmas," and also, "Christmas 1977, Love Roy Moore D.A.”

Ms. Nelson's printed statement includes a picture of Moore's note in her yearbook...

"Love, Roy Moore D.A." pic.twitter.com/cXfLThHkb0

— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) November 13, 2017

But Jauregui implied that the existence of the "D.A." at the end of the signature means that it was forged, since Moore would not have ever signed with that lettering.

Jauregui took no questions from the media after the press conference.