CRMTCS 4: QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS EXAMINATION

DOCUMENT
➢ Comes from a Latin word “documentum” means a lesson.
➢ Is any material that contains a mark symbol or sign, visible, partially visible or invisible that may
presently or ultimately convey a meaning or a message to someone.
➢ It is any written statement by which a right is established or an obligation extinguished. (People
vs. Moreno, C.A., 38 O.G. 119)

❖ Two Categories of Document

1. Standard Document
➢ Document in which the origin is known can be proven and can legally be used as sample to
compare with other things in questioned.

Types of Standards

a. Collected or procured standard

➢ Standard specimen obtain from a files of document, executed in person’s day to day
business, official, social, or personal activities.

b. Requested/Dictated (Post litem motam std.)

➢ Is a standard document which is made upon request (prepared at one time). ➢ Are those
which are given or made upon request for purposes of making a comparative examination with
the request writing.

Contemporary document = documents which are not more than five (5) years before or after.

2. Questioned Document
➢ Is a document that is questioned because of its origin, its contents, or the circumstances
regarding its production arousing serious suspicion as to its genuineness or it may adversely
scrutinized simple because it displeases someone.

❖ Legal Classification of Documents:

1. Public Document
➢ Is a document created, executed or issued by a public official in response to the exigencies
of the public service, or in the execution of which a public official intervened. ➢ Is any
instrument authorized by a notary public or a competent public official, with the solemnities
required by law
2. Official Document
➢ Is a document which is issued by a public official in the exercise of the functions of his
office. (An official document is also a public document as a larger classification). 3. Private
Document
➢ A deed or instrument executed by a private person without the intervention of a notary
public or other person legally authorized, by which documents, some disposition or
agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth.
4. Commercial Document
➢ Is any document defined and regulated by the Code of Commerce

Classes of Questioned Documents:

1. Document with questioned Signature
2. Document containing fraudulent alteration
3. Holograph Document – a document that is completely written and signed by one person 4.
Document questioned as to the material used in their production.
5. Documents questioned as to their age or date.
6. Documents involving typewriting
7. Document which may identify a person through handwriting
8. Genuine documents erroneously or fraudulently attacked or disputed.
 ❖ Writings and Signature:

System of Writing
➢ Is the combination of the basic shape and designs of letter and the writing movement
which was taught in school.

Copy book form

➢ Is an illustration of the basic designs of letters that is fundamental to the writing system.

Writing movement
➢ Refers to factors relative to the motion of the pen such as, pressure, rhythm, pen lifting, etc.

Writing
➢ Is the visible result of a very complicated series of acts, being as a whole or a combination
of certain forms which are the very visible result of mental and muscular habits acquired
by long continued painstaking effort.

Handwriting
➢ Is a visible effect of bodily movement which is an almost unconscious expression of fixed
muscular habits, reacting from fixed mental impression of certain ideas associated with script
form.

Writing Habits
➢ Refers to any repeated elements of once handwriting which serves as an identifying
characteristics.

Significant Writing Habits

➢ Elements of one’s writing that are sufficiently unique and well fixed to serve as a strong basis
of individuality.

Types of Handwritings
1. Cursive – Writing in which the letters are for the most part joined together.
2. Handlettering – refers to writing characterized by a disconnected style.
3. Natural Writing – a specimen of writing that is executed normally and without any attempt of altering its
usual writing habits.
4. Disguised – a specimen of writing executed deliberately with an attempt of changing its usual writing habits
in the hope of hiding one’s identity.
5. Guided/assisted – a specimen of writing executed while the writer’s hand is at steadied. Usually
employed by beginners in writing.

Signature
➢ A name of person signed by himself on a document as a sign of acknowledgement.

Model signature
➢ Specimen signature which was executed in particular date, time and place under a
particular writer’s condition and for a particular purpose.

Evidential Signature
➢ Specimen signature which was executed in particular date, particular time and place,
under a particular writer’s condition and for a particular purpose.

Classes of Signature
1. Formal or complete
➢ Used in signing very important document
2. Informal or cursory
➢ Used for routine document
 3. Careless scribble
➢ Used for not so important document such as delivery of mail or receipt of purchase
equipment etc.

Forgery
➢ Is an act of falsifying or counterfeiting any treasure or bank notes, paper bills or any
documents which are payable to the bearer.
➢ Is an act of simulating or tracing somebody’s signature without the latter’s consent for
profit.

Major Types of Forgery

1. Simple forgery
➢ Is a forged signature where no attempt has been made to make a copy or facsimile of the
genuine writing of a person purported to sign the document. Also known as spurious
signature
2. Simulated or Copied forgery
➢ Is a forged signature which resembles the genuine signature written in free-hand. ➢ It
is considered as the most skillful form of forgery.
3. Traced Forgery
➢ Is a forged signature which closely resembles the genuine made by some tracing process or
outline form.

Methods of tracing
a. Carbon outline process – used of carbon paper.
b. Indention process- used of considerable pressure, Canal-like process.
c. Projection or transmitted light process- used of light from the back or bottom. d.
Laser method – used of hologram.

CHARACTERISTICS IN WRITING:
Characteristics
➢ It refers to any property, marks or elements which distinguish.
➢ Also referred to as identifying details.

Types of characteristics:
1. Class Characteristics
➢ Characteristics or properties which are common or which can be found in the specimen
writing of other person.
2. Individual Characteristics
➢ Characteristics which are highly personal or peculiar.
➢ That which is unlikely to occur in other’s handwriting.

Elements of Forms in Writing

1. Arc – the rounded inner part of an upper curve, bend or crook,
2. Beard – is an introductory up and down strokes found in some capital letters. Also sometimes called as
double hitch.
3. Blunt – is a part of a stroke characterized by a abrupt beginning or end at which the pen does not
creates a diminishing strokes.
4. Buckle Knot is a horizontal or loop strokes used to complete letters A, H, F and D. 5. Central Part – is the
body of the letter. Characterized by a small rounded or circular strokes. 6. Ductus-link, Ductur-broken- refers
to the connection between letters, either joined or disconnected. 7. Eyelet/ eyeloop – refers to small oblong
strokes.
8. Hitch – an introductory backward strokes found in most capital letters and in some small letters. 9.
Humps – is the outer portion of an upper curve bend or crook, (see arc)
10. Knob – is a tiny pool of an ink at the beginning or ending strokes.
11. Loop – is an oblong strokes
12. Stem/shank/staff – is considered as the backbone of the letter characterized by a lone downward
strokes
13. Initial/terminal Spur – a long running initial or terminal strokes.
14. Through – refers to any garland form of a letter strokes
15. Whirl – is the lone upward strokes usually found opposite the stem

Embellishments
➢ Is an added strokes that serves as an ornamental or flourish to the design of the letters. They
considered unnecessary to the legibility of the writing.

Writing Movement
➢ Refers to all factors relative to the motion of the pen.

Line Quality
➢ Are the visible records in the written strokes of the basic movements and manner of holding
instrument. It is derived from a combination of factors, including writing skill, speed, and rhythm,
freedom of movement, shading and pen emphasis.

Types of movement:
1. Finger (used by beginners)
2. Hand (wrist serves as the point of pivotal & of limited freedom)
3. Forearm (most skillful type of movement)
4. Whole arm (used for ornamental or large writings)

Elements of Writing Movement

1. Pen pressure – is the average or usual pressure applied in the writing.
2. Pen Emphasis – is the act of intermittently forcing the pen against the paper surface with an
increase in speed.
3. Rhythm – is the harmonious or balance recurrence of strokes or impulses.
4. Skills – refers to the degree of writer’s proficiency in writing
5. Speed – cannot be measured precisely from the finished handwriting but it can be interpreted in
broad term as to either fast, slow or moderate.
6. Pen-lift – an interruption is strokes caused by sudden removal of the writing instrument from the
paper surface.
7. Shading – refers to the more obvious increase in the width of the letter strokes. 8.
Pen Position – is the relative location of the pen in relation to the paper surface. 9. Pen
scope – represents the reach of the hand with the wrist at rest.
10. Retracing or retraced – is the strokes which goes back over another writing strokes that is
slightly to occur in other’s writing.
11. Retouching or patching – is a stroke which goes back over a defective portion of a writing to
repair or correct an error.

Factors that affects writing characteristics:

1. Natural Variations – is the usual or normal deviation found in a repeated specimen of an individual’s
handwriting or in the product of any typewriter.
2. Transitory Change – are meant to those changes which only continue to exist while the basic cause of the
deterioration is still affecting the writer, once the such cause has been removed from the writer, the writing
will reverts in its normal form.

3. Tremor – is the weakening of the strokes characterized by a wavering or shaky strokes. a.

Genuine Tremor
a.1. Weakness of sickness
a.2 Old age
a.3. Illiteracy (lack of skills)
b. Tremor of Fraud

4. Writing Conditions – refers to all factors affecting the over-all quality of writing such as the writer’s
condition under which the writing was prepared.

5. Writing instrument
a. Ball point pen
 b. Fountain pen (Lewis Watterman)
c. Fiber pen

Miscellaneous Document Problem

1. Detection of Alteration
Alteration - refers to any form of changes either an addition or a deletion to the original content of
the document which is not a part of its original preparation.
2. Decipherment of Erased Writings
Erasure – refers to removal of a writings or any part of a document either by mechanical or
chemical process.
Mechanical Erasure – done by means of abrasive method through rubbing or scrapping.
Chemical Erasure – done with the aid or use of bleaching agent called ink eradicator. Usually
examined with the aid or fuming, transmitted light, oblique light and ultra violet light
examination.
3. Decipherment of Obliterated writing
Obliteration – is the process of smearing over an original writing to make it undecipherable or illegible.
Done with the used of superimposing inks. Usually examined with the used of Infra red light.
4. Examination of Charred Document and water soaked document
Charred Document – refers to partly burned or brittle document. Decipherment is usually
accomplished with the used of infra-red light examination.
5. Development of Invisible writing
Invisible writing – writing that has no readily visible ink strokes. Made by Sympathetic inks such as
acids, juice and others. They are possible of development depending on the ink used. Methods of
development can be by heat. Water, chemical fuming or by ultra-violet light process.
6. Decipherment of Contract writing
Contact writing – refers to partially visible ink strokes cause by sudden contact between a sheet of
paper with another paper containing fresh ink.
Can be enhanced through fuming or ultra-violet light process.

EXAMINATION OF TYPEWRITING
Definition of Terms:
1. Typeface – is the printing surface of the type block in a conventional typewriter. In electric typewriter it is
the printing surface of the rotating head sphere.
2. Typeface defect – any form of peculiarity of the type printing caused by actual damage to the
typeface metal or which maybe an abnormality in its printing condition.
3. Characters – in connection to typewriting, it is used to include letters, symbols, numerals or points of
punctuation.
4. Pica typeface – type face impression ordinarily spaced ten (10) characters to the horizontal inch. 5. Elite
typeface – type face impression ordinarily spaced twelve (12) characters to the horizontal inch. 6.
Proportional spacing machine – a typewriter with a type letter spacing similar to the type spacing of
conventional printed in which all letters are allotted horizontal in conformity with their relative widths. 7.
Transitory Defects – is an identifying typewriter characteristics which can be eliminated by simply cleaning
the machine or replacing the ribbon.
8. Permanent Defects – any identifying typewriting characteristics of the type face which cannot be
corrected by simply cleaning the machine or replacing the ribbon.
9. Mal alignment or alignment defects – refers to defect in the printing condition of the type character in which
the letters are printed either at the top or bottom, left or right of inclined from its proper position.

Principal technique utilized in typewriting identification

1. Measure the type face pitch
2. Verify the type size and design (W-G-T)
3. Look for individual type face defects

Typeface Defects
1. Vertical mal alignment – a character printing above or below of its proper position. 2. Horizontal mal
alignment – an alignment defect in which the characters are printed to the left or right of its proper position.
3. Twisted letters – letters and characters are designed to be printed at a certain angle to the baseline. Once
letters leans to the left or right of its proper position such is called twisted letters. 4. Off-its-feet – is a condition
of the type face printing at which then character outline is not equally printed, that is the printing is heavier in
one side than the remainder of the outline of the character. 5. Rebound – typeface defect in which a character
prints a double impression with the lighter one slightly off-set to the right or left.
6. Actual breakage – any peculiarity of typewriting caused by actual damage to the type face metal. 7.
Clogged type face (dirty) – is a typeface defects characterized by dirty prints due to constant used without
cleaning of the type bar or due to use of new carbon. These are common in closed letter outline such as o,
a, p, g etc.

Definition of terms
1. Document examiner - one who studies scientifically the details and elements of documents in order to
identify their source, or to discover other facts concerning them. This term is often connected to the term
Handwriting identification experts, however, nowadays the work has outgrown this latter title and involves other
problem that merely the examination of writing.
2. Expert witness – this term described a witness who by reason of his special technical training or
experience is permitted to express opinion regarding the issue, or a certain aspects of the issue, that is
involved in legal proceedings. His purpose in court is to interpret technical information in his particular
specially in order to assist the court in administering justice. A document examiner can testify in court as
expert witness.
3. Graphology - the art of attempting the character or personality of an individual from his handwriting. 4.
Examination – is the act of making a close and critical study of any material, and with questioned
documents, is the process necessary to discover facts about them.
5. Comparison - is the act of setting two or more items side by side to weigh their identifying qualities. 6.
Collation – means critical comparison or side-by-side examination.
7. Infrared examination – infrared examination employs invisible radiation beyond the red portion of the
visible spectrum that is usually recorded on specially sensitized photographic emulsion. This infrared or
sometimes referred to as heat rays, can also be converted to visible light by electronic viewing equipment
which to date has had limited used in questioned document work.
8. Ultraviolet examination – UV radiation is invisible and occurs in the wavelengths just below the visible
blue-violet of the visible spectrum. These invisible rays react on some substances so that visible light is
reflected, a phenomenon known as fluorescence.
9. Microscopic examination – ay examination that is made with the microscope in order to discover
minute physical details of an object or specimen.
10. Oblique or sidelight examinations – an examination with the illumination so controlled that it grazes or
strikes the surface of the document from one side at a very low angle.
11. Transmitted light examination – an examination in which the document is viewed with the source of
illumination behind it and the light passing though the paper.
12. Counterfeit – an imitation of something genuine with intent to defraud usually in the form of bank
notes and coins.
13. Pen failure – an interruption in a stroke caused by the failure of the ink of the writing instrument to
register on the surface of the paper.
14. Erasure – the removal of writings, typewriting, or printing from a document. It may be accomplished by
two means: A chemical agents and abrasive erasure.
15. Ink eradicator - consist of chemical solutions which are capable of bleaching an ink. 16. Obliteration –
the blotting out or smearing over of writing to make the original invisible or undecipherable. It is seldom
used for fraudulent purposes because of its obviousness. Covering or smearing over the original writing
with an opaque substance often accomplishes smeared-over writing. 17. Decipherment – the process of
making out what is illegible or what has been effaced. 18. Restoration – describes any process in which
erased writing is developed or brought out again on the document itself.
19. Insertion or interlineations – Includes the addition of writing and other materials between the lines or
paragraphs or the addition of whole pages to a document.
20. Addition – any matter made a part of a document after its original preparation. 21. Altered document – a
document containing some changes either by addition or deletion. 22. Blank papers – a sheet of paper that
contains no visible or readily visible writing. 23. Secret inks – a material used for writing which is not visible
until treated by some developing process or substance.
24. Writing impressions – are small writing indentions completely devoid of any pigment. They may be
young on a sheet of a tablet paper that may be immediately below the one on which writing was done, or they
remain after pencil or typewriting has been erased.
25. Writing offsets – result from a paper coming in contact with fresh inks writing. They may be the
mirror of the entire words or sentences.
26. Pen – a writing instrument used to apply inks to the paper.
27. Ball point pen - a writing instrument which has its marking tip a small freely rotating ball bearing
which rolls the ink on to the paper.
28. Agraphia – a mental disease in which an individual loses his ability to write although he could still
grasp the writing instrument.
29. Carbon outlined process – a carbon paper is interleaves between the genuine document containing a
signature and the document intended to be forged. The outline of the genuine signature is traced with a dry
pen or any pointed instrument to make the carbon offset on fraudulent document. The carbon outlined is then
traced with an ink to make appear as if it is a genuine signature.
30. Indention process – It is similar with the carbon outlined process except that the carbon paper was not
used. The forger traces the genuine signature using sufficient pressure with the aid of a dry pen stylus or any
pointed instruments. The depression or indented signature is thereafter over written with an ink to finish the
forgery.
31. Projection or transmitted light process – in this type, the fraudulent document is on top of the document
containing the genuine signature, using a transmitted light gadget, a strong source of light will strike either from
the back or bottom of the two documents which superimposed the outline of the genuine signature.
32. Microphotograph – is a microscopically small photograph.
33. Photomicrograph - is a magnified photograph of a small object produced by connecting a camera with
the ocular of a compound microscope.
34. Photomacrograph – is a magnified picture of a small object obtained without the used of a
microscope but by means of a short focus lens and bellows extensions of greater than twice the focal
length of the lens.
35. Graphometry – analysis of handwriting by means of comparison and measurement.
36. Indented writings – a term applied to the partially visible depressions appearing on a sheet of paper
underneath the one on which the visible writing appears. It may also occur after pencil or typewriting has been
erased.
37. Hesitation – this term applies to the irregular thickening that is found when the writing slows down or
stops while a penman takes stock of the position.
38. Line quality – this refers to the condition of the line itself.
39. Good line quality – it is characterized by smoothness of writing, regularity of curves and shading. 40. Poor
line quality – Characterized by simulated forges or laboriously disguised handwriting as well as of the
handwriting of persons who write very little.
41. Safety paper - a paper which has been treated in such a way as to minimize the chances of forgery by
erasure whether mechanical or chemical.
42. Calligraphy – the art of beautiful writing.
43. Cacography – a term that refers to bad writing.
44. Majuscule - capital letters.
45. Minuscule – small letters
46. Alignment – is the relation of parts of the whole line of writing or line o individual letters in words to the
baseline.
47. Superimposing ink – an ink used for blotting or smearing an original writing. 48. Contact writing – a
partially visible writing due to sudden contact of a blank paper into another paper containing a freshly applied
ink.
49. Invisible writing - a writing which has no readily visible or legible writing for they have been made by
using sympathetic ink.
50. Conclusion – a scientific results from relating observed facts by logical, common sense reasoning in
accordance with established rules or laws. An expert’s conclusion is commonly referred to in, legal, term as
his opinion
51. Exemplars – refers to specimen standards or disputed document which has been used for
comparison
52. Exhibit – is a term use when referring to the specimen standards or questioned which is presented in
court as evidence
53. Reference collection – Material compiled and organized by the document examiner to assist him in
answering special questions comprises his reference collection which he regularly maintained. 54. Writing- it
is the result of a very complicated series of acts being as a whole or a combination of certain forms of visible
mental and muscular habits acquired by long continued painstaking effort

PHOTOGRAPHY IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

1. Photograph serves as a record of the initial conditions of disputed document. 2.

Photograph makes clear what is otherwise may be hidden or indistinct.
3. By means of photographs, a writing in question can be accurately be enlarged so that every quality and
characteristics of it can be clearly and properly interpreted whether the facts so shown the points to
genuineness or forgery.
4. Any number of accurate reproductions of the document could be made through photographs, thus
affording unlimited opportunity for study, comparison and evaluation by any number of examiners that
could not be possible by using the documents alone.
5. Photograph can be cut apart, as may be desired and the various parts classified for comparison. 6.
Photograph is also useful in showing delicate discolorations due to chemical erasures or other fraudulent
changes that may be otherwise overlooked or interpreted.
7. Erasure by abrasion made by ordinary rubber eraser can be sometimes be shown clearly and recorded
in permanent form by a photograph taken which the paper placed obliquely to the plane of the lens
and the plane are inclined at just right angle of reflection so as to show differences in the reflected
light from the different portions of the paper surface.

INSTRUMENTS USED IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

1. Magnifying lens
➢ Is the one of the most common used by bank personnel. A magnifying lens of at least five
times magnification, with built-in lighting and base are found to be more useful. 2. Stereoscopic
binocular microscope
➢ Is an instrument that can show three-dimensional enlargement of the documents or
writing under examination.
3. Measuring test plates
➢ These are ruled or lined transparent glasses, which are used in measuring the
alignments, slant, spacing, or size of letters, words or the whole writing.
4. Table lamps
➢ Is an artificial light with adjustable shade lust like the gooseneck lamps for controlled
illuminations, usually used for sidelight examinations.
5. Transmitted light gadget
➢ Considered as one of the powerful instrument used in laboratory. It is a built-box, with a bulb
place inside and the strong source of light will be transmitted either to the back or bottom
of the document under examination.
6. Ultraviolet lamp
➢ Is an artificial lamp with its radiation capable of creating a fluorescence depending upon the
material under consideration. Their wavelengths appear just before the blue-violet colour of
the visible spectrum.

➢ Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or

other electromagnetic radiation

7. Infrared-viewer
➢ Is another artificial light with its wavelength appear beyond the red portion of the visible
spectrum. This is an instrument that best in deciphering obliterated forms of writings and
additions of writing or ink strokes in a document.

8. Iodine fuming apparatus

➢ Iodine Fuming is one of the traditional development methods generally used on porous
materials such as paper and cardboard, and is usually applied before ninhydrin or silver
nitrate processing

9. Paper thickness gauge