QUEST REVIEW CENTER

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NOTES ON CRIMINALISTICS

QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS EXAMINATION

Document
Any material that contains a mark symbol or sign, either 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. Questioned Document – Document to which an issue has been raised or which is under scrutiny.
The focal point of the examination and to which the document examiner relies as to the extent of
the problem. (also referred to as disputed document).
2. Standard Document – Document in which the origin is known can be proven and can legally be
used as sample to compare with other things is questioned.

Types of Standards
a. Collected/Procured Std. – Standard specimen executed in the regular course of man’s activity
or that which are executed on the day to day writing activity.
b. Requested/Dictated (Post litel motam std.) – a Standard document which are executed upon
request, they are prepare at one time.

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

Legal Classification of Documents:

1. Public Document = 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 ( Cacnio , et.al. vs. Baens, 5 Phil. 724).
2. Official Document = a document which is issued by a public official in the exercise of the
functions of his office. Am 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. (US Vs. Orera, 11 Phil
596) e.g. Theater Ticket.
4. Commercial Document = any document defined and regulated by the Code of Commerce
( People Vs. Co Beng, C.A. 40 OG 1913) or any other commercial law.

Classes of Questioned Documents:

1. Document with questioned Signature (most common).
2. Document containing fraudulent alteration (Any form of changes either an addition or deletion to
the contents of a document).
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.
9. Documents containing printing or type prints.

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 expressions 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.
Slant = refers to the relative degree of writing inclination relative to the baseline.
Baseline = an imaginary or straight line in which the writing rest.

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 – genuine signature which has been used in preparing a simulated or traced
forgery.
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 – a forges 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 – a forged signature which resembles the genuine signature written
in free-hand. Considered as the most skillful type of forgery.
3. Traced Forgery – 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 – refers to any property, marks or elements which distinguishes. 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. Gross characteristics.
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 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, Ductus-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. Hiatus = an obvious gap between letters.
10. Humps – is the outer portion of an upper curve bend or crook, (see arc)
11. Knob – is a tiny pool of an ink at the beginning or ending strokes.
12. Loop – is an oblong strokes
13. Stem/shank/staff – is considered as the backbone of the letter characterized by a long downward
strokes
14. Initial/terminal Spur – a long running initial or terminal strokes.
15. Through – refers to any garland form of a letter strokes
16. Whirl – is the long upward strokes usually found opposite the stem

Embellishments – added strokes that serves as an ornamental or flourish to the design of the letters.
They considered unnecessary to the legibility of the writing.
Diacritics = strokes added to complete certain letters. They are necessary to the legibility of the
letters.
Writing Movement – refers to all factors relative to the motion of the pen.

Line Quality – is 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, 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 (John Loud) consisting of a ball bearing at the point of the pen.
b. Fountain pen (Lewis Watterman) consisting of pen nib point.
c. Fiber pen (originally designed by Hongkong)

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.