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QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENT
- any material which contains marks, symbols or signs, either visible or partially visible or invisible, that
may presently or ultimately convey a meaning or message to someone
- usually in the form of pencil, ink writing, typewriting or printing on paper
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
- any document in which some issue has been raised or which is under scrutiny
- a document may be questioned in whole or in part with respect to its authenticity, identity or authorship,
origin, or the relation among its parts or its relation to other things
DISPUTED DOCUMENT
- suggests that there is an argument or controversy over the document
A. PRINCIPLES OF WRITING
WRITING
- the result of a very complicated series of acts, being as a whole a combination of certain forms which
are the visible results of mental and muscular habits acquired by long, continued effort
- a combination of certain forms which are the very visible result of mental and muscular habits
WRITTEN FORM
- a record of a motion and mature writing by many repetitions which become an unconscious coordinated
movement
HANDWRITING
- a visible effect of bodily movement which is an almost unconscious expression of fixed muscular habits,
reacting from fixed mental impressions of certain ideas associated with script form
CURSIVE WRITING
- writing in which the letters are for the most part joined together
HAND MUSCLES IN THE HANDS WHICH FUNCTION IN THE ACT OF WRITING
1) EXTENSOR MUSCLES
o push up the pen to form the upward strokes
2) FLEXOR MUSCLES
o push down the pen to form downward strokes
3) LUMBRICAL MUSCLES
o combine with the extensor and the flexor to form lateral strokes
MOTOR COORDINATION
- the delicate way in which the various muscles - used in writing - work together to produce written forms

WRITING MOVEMENTS
1) FINGER MOVEMENT
o the use of thumb, index and middle fingers in writing
o usually employed by children and illiterates
o mostly employed in vertical writing and mainly in all printed styles of writing
o almost always employed in forgery
o writing produced is characterized by the following:
a) lacks of clear-cut, smooth and regular lines
b) contains numerous broad curves
c) has irregular connection between letters and letter parts
d) often appears slow and labored
e) lacks rhythm
f) shading is pronounced
2) HAND MOVEMENT
o involves action of the hand as a whole, with fingers playing a minor role
o pivot of lateral motion is the wrist
o the connections at the tops and bottoms of letters are very narrow and angular
o produces illegible and scratchy writing
3) FOREARM MOVEMENT
o writing is produced by movement of both hand and arm and sometimes, fingers
o elbow is the pivot of lateral movement
o gives great command of the hand and the most complete lateral freedom
o shows the greatest freedom and speed as evidenced in the strokes by:
a) force and continuity of motion as shown by smooth, clear-cut, rapid, symmetrical strokes indicative
of rhythm
b) slight shading is produced
c) radius of lateral motion is longer than in finger and hand movement
d) more even base line
e) uniformity in size of letters
f) smooth, regular long strokes and curves
4) WHOLE ARM MOVEMENT
o involves action of the entire arm without rest and is employed in very large writing
o writing produced is that which is forged with the greatest difficulty

CLASSIFICATION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

1) CLASS OR GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
o those characteristics of writing that are common to a group and not peculiar to a single person
2) INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
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o those characteristics which are highly personal or peculiar to a particular person and is unlikely to
occur in other instances

WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

SYSTEM OF WRITING
- the combination of the basic design of letters and the writing movement as taught in school
- the particular style or system of writing practiced or learned in childhood
HABIT
- any repeated element or detail which may serve to individualize writing
SIGNIFICANT WRITING HABIT
- any characteristics of handwriting which is sufficiently unique and well-fixed to serve as a fundamental
point in the identification
FORM
- shape or design of the individual letters which includes the following:
a) straight line
b) curves
c) angles
d) retracing
e) connections – either circular, oblong or elliptical, or angular
f) size
g) slant – the slope of writing in relation to the base line; the angle or inclination of the axis of letters
relative to the baseline
h) spacing
i) proportion – a hidden feature of writing
LINE QUALITY
- the visible record in the written stroke of the basic movements and manner of holding the writing
instrument
- derived from a combination of factors including:
a) skill
b) speed
c) rhythm
d) shading
e) pen pressure
f) pen position or pen hold
g) tremor
h) movement
SKILL
- relative degree of the ability of the writer and a specimen of handwriting usually containing evidence of
a writer’s proficiency
RHYTHM
- that element of the writing movement which is marked by regular or periodic recurrence
- harmonious recurrence of stress or impulse or motion
- the balanced quality of movement, producing a natural and not a constrained or artificial result
- it may be classified as smooth, intermittent or jerky in its quality
SPEED
- can be classified into four divisions:
a) slow and drawn
b) deliberate
c) average
d) rapid
SHADING
- the widening of the ink stroke due to added pressure on a flexible pen point or the use of a stub pen
- the more obvious increase in the width of strokes
PEN EMPHASIS
- the act of intermittently forcing the pen against the paper surface with increased pressure
PEN POSITION OR PEN HOLD
- the relationship between the pen point and paper
- the angle between the ribs of the pen and the line of writing
- the manner of holding the pen or the writing instrument
PEN PRESSURE
- the average force with which the pen contacts the paper
- one of the most personal and hidden writing characteristics
- describes the proportions of strokes to each other in width as affected by shading and by unconscious
emphasis
PEN LIFTS
- an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing instrument from the paper
- one of those inconspicuous and unconscious writing habit
- disconnections between letters and letter combinations
TREMOR
- deviations from uniform strokes or the lack of smoothness apparent even without magnification
- shown by:
a) lack of uniformity of speed in making pen strokes
b) pen stops
c) involuntary horizontal and vertical movements
d) involuntary pen pressure ( also called vertical tremor )
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- caused by:
a) lack of skill on the part of the writer
b) self-consciousness of the writing process
c) hesitation resulting from copying or imitation
d) uncontrollable nervousness of the writer
e) clumsiness partly due to lack of clear mental impression of the form being made
PATCHING
- retouching or going back over a defective portion of a writing stroke
RETOUCHING
- synonymous with patching
RETRACING
- any stroke which goes back over another writing stroke
KINDS OF TREMORS
1) GENUINE TREMORS
o caused by:
a) age
b) illiteracy
c) weakness
2) TREMOR OF FRAUD
ALIGNMENT
- the relation of successive characters or letters of a word, signature or line of writing to an actual or
imaginary base line
RUBRIC OR EMBELLISHMENT
- additional, unnecessary strokes not required for legibility of letter forms or writings but incorporated in
writing for decorative or ornamental purposes
NATURAL VARIATIONS
- these are normal or usual deviations found between repeated specimens of any individual handwriting
- partial changes, alterations and modifications in the normal formation of the alphabetical characters

MOST COMMON FORMS OF VARIATIONS

1) ABBREVIATING
o taking away or reducing essential parts
2) EMBELLISHMENT
o extension of strokes that are easily made and are the natural outgrowth of speed, freedom or
individual taste
3) DISGUISE
o any change or alteration made by a person to distort or alter his usual or normal writing style and
habits to conceal identity
B. FORGERY

CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

1) Documents with questioned signatures
2) Documents containing alleged fraudulent alterations
3) Documents questioned as to their age or date
4) Documents questioned on the materials used in their production
5) Documents which may identify a person through handwriting
6) Genuine documents erroneously or fraudulently disputed
7) Holograph documents

HOLOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTS
- any document which is completely written and signed by one person
SIGNATURE
- is one’s name written by himself on a document as a sign of acknowledgment
EVIDENTIAL SIGNATURE
- a signature signed at a particular time and place, under particular conditions, while the signer was at a
particular age, in a particular physical and mental condition, using particular implements and with a
particular reason and purpose for recording his name
SIMULATED SIGNATURE
- a free-hand drawing in imitation of a model signature
MODEL SIGNATURE
- a genuine signature which has been used to prepare an imitated or traced forgery
CLASSES OF DISPUTED SIGNATURES
1) SIMPLE FORGERY
o forged signatures where no attempt has been made to make a copy of facsimile of the genuine
signature of the person purporting to sign the document
2) FORGED SIGNATURES OF FICTITIOUS PERSONS
3) TRACED FORGERY
o forged signatures which closely resemble the genuine signature since they have been produced by
a tracing process
4) SIMULATED FORGERY/ COPIED FORGERY
o forged signatures which resemble the genuine signature written free-hand
5) Genuine signatures which the writers are unwilling to accept as genuine
6) Genuine signatures obtained by trickery
7) Genuine signatures deliberately written illegibility or in an unusual manner to afford signatories some
plausible grounds for disclaiming them
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COMMON METHODS OR MEANS USED IN DISGUISE WRITING

1) alteration of capital letters

2) change of slant
3) alteration of size
4) use of printed letters
5) copied block writing
6) copied hand writing
7) writing using the “poorer” hand
8) using incorrect grammar and spelling

INDICATIONS OF FORGERY

1) hesitations – pen stops at unusual places

2) non-continuous strokes
3) abrupt changes of direction of lines or strokes, showing uncertainty of movement
4) concealed or hidden joinings
5) bulbous or blunt initial and terminal strokes
6) misplaced shadings
7) shadings in more than one direction (indicates frequent change of pen hold)
8) lack of variation of pen pressure
9) change of slant
10) defective line quality
11) unnecessary, careful patching or retouching
12) unnatural pen lifts
13) tremor
14) presence of carbon, pencil or indented outlines along the strokes of “inked” patterns

INDICATIONS OF GENUINENESS

1) flying or flourishing starts

2) flying or vanishing finishes
3) intermediate strokes where pen comes off the paper but not stopped and shows continuity of motion
4) abbreviated forms
5) distorted forms
6) illegible forms
7) broken and unfinished signature
8) genuine retouching or overwriting
9) ink failure
10) correct general appearance with incorporated delicate qualities of an individual character
11) conformity of delicate line quality
12) freedom in writing
13) skillful shading
14) certain natural variations in detail of the writing

ALTERATIONS
- may be made in any of the following means:

a) ERASURE – the removal of writing, typewriting or printing from a document through either
mechanical or chemical means
b) ADDITION – any matter made a part of the document after its original preparation

c) SUBSTITUTION – the replacing of the original writing, or part of such writing, with another
d) INSERTION OR INTERLINEATION – the addition of writing and other material between lines or
paragraphs, or the addition of a whole page to a document

e) OBLITERATION – the blotting out or smearing over the writing to make the original invisible or
indecipherable

STANDARDS OF COMPARISON

STANDARDS
- those things whose origins are known and can be proven and can be legally used as samples to
compare with other matters in questions
- consist of the known, authenticated writing of a person

CLASSIFICATION OF STANDARDS

1) PROCURED OR COLLECTED
- those which can be obtained from files of documents executed in the course of a person’s day-to-day
business, official, social or personal activities
- these serve as the best and most appropriate standards in the determination of the genuineness of a
questioned signature or writing
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2) REQUESTED
- those which are given or made at the request of an investigator for purposes of making a comparative
examination with the questioned writing
- these serve as appropriate standards in determining the identity or authorship of anonymous letters

EXAMINATION
- the act of making a close and critical study of any material

COMPARISON
- the act of setting two or more items side by side to weigh their identifying qualities

INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS NEEDED IN DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

1) MAGNIFYING LENS
2) SHADOWGRAPH
3) STEREOSCOPIC BINOCULAR MICROSCOPE
4) MEASURE AND TEST PLATES
5) TABLE LAMPS
6) TRANSMITTED LIGHT GADGET
7) ULTRAVIOLET LAMP
8) INFRA-RED VIEWER

METHODS USED IN THE EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS

1) MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION
o any study or examination which is made with the microscope in order to discover minute physical
details

2) TRANSMITTED LIGHT EXAMINATION

o the document is viewed with the source of illumination behind it and the light passing through the
paper

3) ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT EXAMINATION

o may be made visually or photographically by recording either the reflected ultraviolet or visible
radiation

4) INFRA-RED EXAMINATION
o employs invisible radiation which is recorded on specially sensitized photographic emulsions

5) OBLIQUE OR SIDE LIGHT EXAMINATION

o illumination is controlled and grazes or strikes the surface of the document from one side at a very
low angle

PROCESSES IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF EXAMINATION

1) ANALYSIS
o the observation or determination of the properties or characteristics of the writings

f) COMPARISON
o the study of the properties and characteristics of writings of unknown origin in relation to records of
known origin
g) EVALUATION
o the identification of similarities and dissimilarities in properties and characteristics of writings to
reach the conclusion regarding the identity, origin, genuineness and other subject of dispute
concerning such writing

CONCLUSION
- results from relating observed facts by logical, common sense reasoning in accordance with established
rules or laws

OPINION
- the document examiner’s conclusion

PROPER HANDLING OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

1) They should not be cut, torn or in any manner mutilated in the slightest degree.
2) They should not be touched with an eraser of any kind, nor with pen, pencil or sharp instrument.
3) They should not be folded in any new place, nor should it be folded and unfolded unnecessarily.
4) They should not be allowed to get wet.
5) No chemical analysis should be made on the document by either parties. Only those who are
authorized and qualified shall conduct such chemical analysis, as chemicals applied may injure or
deface document.
6) Portions of the document that are of particular importance such as signatures, amounts or dates should
not be encircled in any manner that the strokes or portions are affected.
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7) Keep the documents unfolded in protective envelopes.

8) If storage is necessary, keep in dry place away from excessive heat and strong light.