QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

WHAT IS A DOCUMENT?

It is an original piece of written or printed matter conveying authoritative information or evidence.

When it is introduced as evidence, it is known as documentary evidence.

It includes:

• Photograph

• Plates, or lithographs

• Writings

• Figures

• Marks

• Printed matters

-Any written, print or type material is also considered a document.

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

• Is a document or papers whose contents have been contested either in whole or in part as to their
authenticity. Thus, it the origin of a document is unknown or its authenticity is in doubt the article is
considered a “QUESTIONED DOCUMENT”.

• Letters, checks, driver licenses, contracts, wills, voter registrations, passports, petitions, threatening
letters, suicide notes, and lottery tickets are the most common questioned documents, although marks
on doors, walls, windows, or boards would also be included by definition.
CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

by: Albert Osborn

• DOCUMENTS WITH QUESTIONED SIGNATURE

• DOCUMENTS CONTAINING ALLEGED FRAUDULENT ALTERATION

• HOLOGRAPH DOCUMENT QUESTIONED OR DISPUTED

• DOCUMENTS ATTACKED ON THE QUESTIONED OF THEIR DATE AND AGE

• DOCUMENTS ATTACKED ON THE QUESTIONED OF MATERIALS USED IN

THEIR PRODUCTION

• DOCUMENTS THAT IDENTIFY THE HADWRITING

• GENUINE DOCUMENTS ERRONEOUSLY OR FRAUDULENTLY ATTACKED

• DOCUMENTS TO IDENTIFY TYPEWRITING

FRAUDULENT ALTERATIONS ON DOCUMENTS

• MECHANICAL ERASURE

Alteration produce an abrasion on the paper.

Following condition will show plainly that an erasure was made.

a. the ink line is wider

b.ink line tends to run or to fader out sideways.

c.ink shows through the back side of the paper.

2. CHEMICAL ERASURE

• Chemical eradicators have tendency to stain the paper. It do not remove writing, but merely bleach
out the colon, thus chemically erase writing may be reproduce by the use of ultra violet light or use of
infra-red photography.

3. Additions

 New pages of writing, typewriting or painting may be inserted

4. INTERLINEATIONS

writing between the lines of an instrument for purpose of adding a part to it or correcting what has been
written (J. Newton Baker)

5. SUBSTITUTION

• Committed when an entire page has been remove from an instrument and has been replaced by
another piece containing matters different from those of the remove page.

6. CANCELLATION AND OBLITERATION

HISTORY

• QDE, or Questioned Document Examination, has been a profession at least since 1870, and frequently
is found in cases of forgery, counterfeiting, mail fraud, kidnapping, con games, embezzlement, gambling,
organized crime, white collar crime, art crime, theft, robbery, arson, burglary, homicide, serial murder,
psychological profiling, and deviant sex crime. A number of famous cases over the years, some involving
wrongful conviction

• Historically, QDE has been somewhat of an inclusive profession, even to the point where so- called
pseudo-experts (in palmistry and fortune- telling) were sometimes welcome, and even today, it suffers
from a bit of identity crisis in that at least eight (8) different, or related, areas can be identified:

 Questioned Document Examiners - A document examiner analyzes any questioned document and is
capable of more than just questions of authorship limited only by their access to laboratory
equipment
 Historical Dating -- These is work involving the verification of age and worth of a document or
object, sometimes done by a document examiner, and can get as complicated as Carbon-14 dating
 Fraud Investigators -- This is work that often overlaps with that of the document examiner and
focuses on the money trail and criminal intent
 Paper & Ink Specialists -- These are public or private experts who date, type, source, and/or
catalogue various types of paper, watermarks, ink, printing/copy/fax machines, computer cartridges,
etc., using chemical methods
 Forgery Specialists -- These are public or private experts who analyse altered, obliterated, changed,
or doctored documents and photos using infrared lighting, expensive spectrographic equipment, or
digital enhancement techniques
 Handwriting Analysts -- These are usually psychology experts who assess personality traits from
handwriting samples, also called graphologists or graphoanalysts; Forensic stylistics refers to the
same purpose but by looking at semantics, spelling, word choice, syntax, and phraseology.
 Typewriting Analysts -- These are experts on the origin, make, and model used in typewritten
material
 Computer Crime Investigators -- This is an emerging group that relates to QDE through some
common investigative and testimonial procedures.

Q.D.E in the Philippines

• It is the domain primarily of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory, specifically by the
Criminalistics Division although other government agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation
and licensed criminologist can also perform the examination, provided that criminologist practice their
profession and are certified to have gained training, experience and specialization in questioned
document examination field.

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT DIVISION:

FUNCTIONS

• Examination of Signatures

• Handwriting Identification

• Examination of documents suspected to have been altered/erased

• Decipherment of secret writings

• Examination of sequence of entry

• Paper and Ink comparison

• Typewriting Identification/ Computer prints identification

• Examination of counterfeited documents

• Conducts lectures to PNP, AFP and other government agencis

• Conduct field laboratory works

• Conducts court duties

DOCUMENT EXAMINER

• Analyzes any questioned document and he is capable of analysing more than just question of
authorship. Included in his capabilities as document examiner are tasks requiring examination and
determination of forged signature, typewriting identification, computer printouts verification,
examination of disputed documents as to the questions of paper, ink and writing instrument used,
alterations in documents and many more.

• A document examiner serves as an expert witness using a variety of scientific processes and methods
in the course of his tasks. He presents his opinion as an expert witness in the court of law, with regards
to the document that has been examined. An expert opinion of an expert witness need not be based on
absolute certainly. The most common conclusion given by an expert witness are really examination is
opinionated in nature.

HISTORICAL ASPECT OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

ALIBATA-the ancient filipino alphabet .

PILONCITOS- This coins were coned-shaped gold pieces, usually with the imprint of Malayan letter M on
their flat bases.

EARLY FILIPINOS USED A PEN CALLED SIPOL.

Conant coins were based on the design of a well-known Filipino engraver – Milencio Figueroa

JULY 5, 1945-THE DATE WHEN THE JAPANESE CURRENCY ENDED.

ANTONIO LUNA- who established a clinical laboratory where some original works and chemistry were
done.

In what code it was specified that- expert witness testimony was admitted and the rule required that
writings for comparison must be proved authentic to the satisfaction of the judge.

ANSWER: GERMAN CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

In France the earliest verification of hand writing was entrusted to qualified experts, designated
as_____.

ANSWER: MASTER WRITER

Albert S. Osborn - He was an Examiner of Questioned Document in New York City from 1887 and author
of Questioned Document

J. Newton baker - he was a consultative expert in disputed documents.

REVIEW QUESTION #1

1. The art of determining individual characteristic traits of a person based on his or her handwriting is
called.

A. Calligraphy

B. Graphlogic

C. Graphology

D. Caligrapher

2. The art of writing letters and words with decorative strokes is called

A. Calligraphy

B. Graphlogic

C. Graphology

D. Caligrapher

3. Handwriting samples made at the request and under the supervision of lawyers, the police, document
examiners and investigators for the purpose of comparison with questioned writing.

A. Collected writings

B. Stolen writings

C. Request writings

D. Forced writings

4. Samples the individual produced for some other unrelated reason generally in the course of their day
to day activities.

A. Collected writings

B. Stolen writings

C. Request writings

D. Forced writings
5. An attempt to disguise one's handwriting or copy someone else's is

A. Simulated

B. Evaluated

C. Disguised

D. Compared

6. Any signature,handwriting,typewriting or other mark whose source or authenticity is in dispute or

doubtful.

A. Requested Document

B. Disputed Document

C. Collected document

D. Questioned document

7. Any abnormal repetitive shaking movement of the body usually the hands which affects handwriting.

A. Tremor

B. Epilepsy

C. Convulsion

D. Parkinson

8. One of the following is not an indicator of forgery.

A. Smoothness of paper

B. Penlifts and hesitation

C. Tremor

D. Patching
9. The action producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art with intent to
deceive.

A. Counterfeiting

B. Simulation

C. Forgery

D. Deceiving

10. Made in exact imitation of something valuable or important with the intention to deceive or
defraud.

A. Counterfeiting

B. simulation

C. Forgery

D. Imitating