QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENT- Any material which contains marks, signs or symbols, 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 placed under scrutiny.
DISPUTED DOCUMENT- suggests that there is an argument or controversy over the document
FORENSIC QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION- The application of science to law or court litigation.

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 very visible results of mental and muscular habits acquired by long,
continued and painstaking effort.
HANDWRITING- is the visible effect of bodily movement which is an almost unconscious expression of
certain ideas associated with script form.
NATURAL WRITING-
DISGUISED WRITING-
CURSIVE WRITING- Writing in which the letters are for the most part joined together.
HAND LETERRING- Is any disconnected style of writing in which the letters are written separately.

MUSCLES IN THE HANDS WHICH FUNCTION IN THE ACT OF WRITING

1. EXTENSOR MUSCLES- pushes up the pen to form the upward strokes.
2. FLEXOR MUSCLES- push down the pen to form the downward strokes.
3. LUMBRICAL MUSCLES- 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
□ the use of thumb, index and middle fingers in writing
□ usually employed by children and illiterates
□ mostly employed in vertical writing and mainly in all printed styles of writing
□ almost always employed in forgery
□ 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
□ involves action of the hand as a whole, with fingers playing a minor role
□ pivot of lateral motion is the wrist
□ the connections at the tops and bottoms of letters are very narrow and angular
□ produces illegible and scratchy writing
3. FOREARM MOVEMENT
□ writing is produced by movement of both hand and arm and sometimes, fingers
□elbow is the pivot of lateral movement
□ gives great command of the hand and the most complete lateral freedom
□ 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
□ involves action of the entire arm without rest and is employed in very large writing
□ writing produced is that which is forged with the greatest difficulty

CLASSIFICATION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

1. CLASS OR GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS- those characteristics of writing that are common to a
group and not peculiar to a single person.
2. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS- 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 include 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 baseline; 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- the balance quality of movement of the harmonious recurrence of stress or impulse.
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 the increase in pressure on the paper surface.
PEN PRESSURE- the average force when the pen makes contact with the paper or the usual force
involved in writing.
PEN EMPHASIS- the act of intermittently forcing the pen against the paper surface with increase
pressure.
PEN POSITION OR PEN HOLD- the relationship between the pen point and paper; the manner of holding
the pen or the writing instrument.
PEN LIFT- an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing from the paper.
TREMOR- deviations from uniform strokes or the lack of smoothness perfectly 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)
Caused by:
a) Lack of skill
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
KINDS OF TREMORS
1. GENUINE TREMORS
Caused by:
a) Age
b) Illiteracy
c) Weakness
2. TREMOR OF FRAUD
RETOUCHING OR PATCHING- a stroke that goes back to repair a defective portion of writing.
RETRACING OR RETRACE- any stroke which goes back over another writing stroke.
ALIGNMENT- the relation of successive characters or letters of a word, signature or line of writing to an
actual or imaginary baseline.
RUBRIC OR EMBELLISHMENT- additional, unnecessary strokes not required for legibility of letterforms 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.
MOST COMMON FORMS OF VARIATIONS
1. ABBREVIATING- taking away or reducing essential parts
2. EMBELLISHMENT- extension of strokes that are easily made and are the natural outgrowth of
speed, freedom or individual taste
3. DISGUISE- any change or alteration made by a person to distort or alter his usual or normal
writing style and habits to conceal identity
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 his handwriting
6. Documents involving typewriting
7. Holograph documents
8. Genuine documents erroneously or fraudulently attacked or disputed

HOLOGRAPH DOCUMENT- A document which is completely written and signed by one person
SIGNATURE- Is one’s name written by himself on the document as a sign of acknowledgement.
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 – 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 – forged signatures which closely resemble the genuine signature since they
have been produced by a tracing process.
4. SIMULATED FORGERY/COPIED FORGERY – 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.

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 joining
 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 variation 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) INSERTION OR INTERLINEATION – the addition of writing and other material between lines or
paragraphs, or the addition of a whole page to a document.
d) 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. This is 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.
 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 – any study or examination which is made with the microscope in
order to discover minute physical details.
2) TRANSMITTED LIGHT EXAMINATION – the document is viewed with the source of illumination
behind it and the light passing through the paper.
3) ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT EXAMINATION – may be made visually or photographically by recording
either the reflected ultraviolet or visible radiation.
4) INFRA-RED EXAMINATION – employs invisible radiation which is recorded on specially sensitized
photographic emulsions
5) OBLIQUE OR SIDE LIGHT EXAMINATION – 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 – the observation or determination of the properties or characteristics of the writings.

2) COMPARISON – the study of the properties and characteristics of writings of unknown origin in
relation to records of known origin.
3) EVALUATION – 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.
7) Keep the documents unfolded in protective envelopes.
8) If storage is necessary, keep in dry place away from excessive heat and strong light.