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Week 4 Lecture Notes - Questioned Documents

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Week 4 Lecture Notes - Questioned Documents

Uploaded by

mph7yqzzyh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Questioned Documents

A ​document​ is defined as anything upon which a mark is made for the purpose of conveying a message.
A ​questioned document​ is one that in its entirety or in part is suspect as to its authenticity or origin.
Note: Document Examiners only comment on physical characteristics of handwriting & ​not​ their personality. This study involving
personality traits is called Graphology.
Types of Services Provided by Document Examiners:
-Comparison of signatures and other writings -Alterations and Obliterations of documents
-Mechanical impression comparisons (e.g., rubber stamps & seals) -Identification of photocopy machines
-Examination of inks -Deciphering water soaked, charred, or burned documents
-Torn and cut paper edge comparisons - Printing and other duplicating processes analysis
-Deciphering indented writing on anonymous letters & other documents

Penmanship​ is the art of writing clearly & quickly. Different styles of writing have been popular at different times and in different
countries. Different schools would teach using different copybooks. Initially, when children learn to write, they are taught a set of
copybook patterns, with precise shapes of letters & the relationships between letters. These traits are referred to as ​class
characteristics​(characteristics that are common to a group of similar objects). ​Writing habits become internalized as children focus
on content of writing, rather than forming letters & words. As children get older, the act of writing becomes subconscious. Individual
characteristics develop, many of which the writer is unaware of and handwriting becomes a habit, though ​non-static​ (still always
changing). By the late teenage years, a person’s handwriting has developed to the point where their writing is unique! He or she
inserts individualized traits into the writing style, much as one asserts his or her own personality. These traits are referred to as
individual characteristics​ ​(individualize an object meaning that it can be classified into a group with only ​1​ member. ​It is unique)

The ability of a questioned document examiner to identify the author of a handwritten document by comparison of unknowns with
exemplars depends on two factors: 1​ .)Must be sufficient individual characteristics present in the unknown sample and 2.) Must be
sufficient number of samples of the purported writer’s authentic handwriting.
Note: No two people write exactly alike and No one person writes exactly the same way twice.

Individual Characteristics in a Written Exemplar


-Spacing between letters, Spacing between words.
-Slant refers to the angle of inclination of writing or a letter of writing from the base line of that writing
-Form is the pictorial representation of a letter or writing movement.
-Movement is the manner in which the pen moves in order to form a letter. Two letters that are correct in form and pictorially
similar can be quite different when it comes to the direction that the pen was moving when they were produced.
-Height Ratios are a comparison or correlation of the height of one letter or letter segment to another letter, usually within the same
word or signature.
-The ​dots​ of the “i” & the ​crossing ​of the “t” can differ. The ​loops​ of a cursively written letter may vary (i.e. symmetrical, flat on one
side, thin or bulbous).
-Pen speed/pressure is often an essential element of the examination process. It can be fast or slow. Note: fast, fluid pen movement
is difficult to duplicate by a forger. Pen speed is also related to pen lifts & connecting strokes.
-Embellishments are most often located at the beginning of a letter, but may be throughout the written material. They usually take
the form of an added movement that decorates the writing, such as swirls, added loops, concentric circles, flourishes, etc.

The Examiner/investigator has control over quality and quantity of the exemplars they require. In order to obtain a full range of
variation in the subject’s writing, two types of exemplars are collected: Nonrequest & Request.
i)​Nonrequest/Spontaneous writing/exemplars​:
-Are known documents which are obtained from normal course of business sources (employment records, banking records,
institutional records, etc.) & which can be presented to a court as having been prepared by the suspect.
-the investigator should confine the material collected to that which is comparable to the questioned (i.e. only script or printing)
-the Exemplar should be written around the same time the questioned document was produced
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Questioned Documents

ii)​Request writing/exemplars:
-Request or dictated known documents are those produced specifically for the investigation (e.g., handwriting produced by the
suspect as dictated by an investigator).
-Collect sufficient amount of writing to ensure normal variations are represented.
-Each writing sample should be on a separate sheet of paper & removed from the sight of writer before collecting the next.
-Collect by dictation, not copying.
-Dictated passages should be long & should contain some words or phrases that are present in the questioned document

A document examiner compares questioned handwriting side by side to the known standards. Handwriting attributes are examined
both visually and microscopically. Factors that can affect the writer’s handwriting:
-The health of the writer (arthritis, stroke) -The emotional state of the writer (depression, anger)
-Age of the writer (i.e. loss of pen control & line smoothness) -Alcohol/Drugs (affect muscular coordination)

Signatures:-​ are often the subjects of forgery attempts


A person’s signature does not always represent typical handwriting or contain the same individual characteristics as normal
handwriting. A single signature may be insufficient for a definite conclusion to be drawn. Signatures tend to be very sensitive to
context. A formal signature is often used on an official document; made carefully, so no doubt about name versus an informal
signature which would be used in routine correspondence where the writer wants the reader to recognize the signature. People also
have an abbreviated or stylistic signature (i.e. used in signing checks, credit card receipts, etc).Signature exemplars are always
collected in context.​ ​Forgeries can be done by practicing known sample or free-handing or they may also be traced.
Characteristics of a Forgery: -identically written signature (tracing), -lack of rhythm
-unnatural stops & starts -inconsistent letters

OTHER EXAMINATIONS PERFORMED BY DOCUMENT EXAMINERS


Obliterations​ - ​is the overwriting of a sample of writing or printing with another writing instrument
Erasures​ -​Abrasive erasure involves removing material with an abrasive eraser material. It is the easiest to detect and virtually
always involve disturbance of paper coatings and fibers. Obliteratios & Erasures can be viewed using a VSC.
VSC-​Different inks that appear similar to our unaided eyes may react quite differently when viewed under ultraviolet light
or infrared light. An ink can be observed to luminesce (glow), be transparent, or appear unchanged depending upon its chemical
properties. This process is called a Video-Spectral Comparison & the equipment used is a Video Spectral Comparator (VSC).
Indented Writings​ -​Pressure exerted on the top sheet of a pad may result in an image of the writing being formed on one or more
pages below. Indented writing can be examined in one of two ways: i) viewed with oblique lighting or ii) Using an Electrostatic
Detection Apparatus (ESDA), which uses a toner that collects within the indented writings so that they can be visualized.
ESDA​-The ESDA technique basically involves covering the document with a layer of plastic film and applying an electrostatic charge
to the plastic film. In the areas of the document where indented impressions are present, this image can be visualized by the
application of toner powder (such as that found in photocopiers or laser printers). The resultant image can be fixed and lifted away
from the underlying document. This image is usually referred to as an “ESDA lift” or “ESDA result”. The great advantage of the ESDA
technique is that it is a repeatable test and is non destructive to the document. Indentations up to as many as four pages below the
writing can be examined.
Charred Documents​ -​If documents are recovered before they are completely burned, there is a chance that some of the writing can
be identified. The ink or pencil may not char as easily as paper. These documents are very fragile. They can be examined with various
light sources.

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