QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
QUESTION Document Analysis
• Document Analysis is the examination and
comparison of questioned documents with
known material.
– Questioned Documents- any signature, handwriting,
typewriting, or other written mark whose source or
authenticity is in dispute or uncertain
• Experts establish the authenticity of documents
and detect any changes, erasures, or obliterations
that may have occurred
– Obliteration- writing over top to smear or make
original writing unreadable
Common Questioned Documents
• Checks
• Certificates
• Wills
• Passports
• Licenses
• Money
• Letters
• Contracts
• Suicide Notes
• Receipts
• Even Lottery Tickets
Handwriting Analysis
• Like Fingerprints, every person’s handwriting is
unique and personalized
• Handwriting is difficult to disguise or forge
– Good tool for including or excluding persons when
determining a match with an exemplar
• Questioned documents are compared
exemplars to determine matches
to
– Exemplars- prewritten handwriting samples from a
suspect(s)
Evidence Collection: guidelines
• Handle documents in a manner that prevents changes or
alterations of the evidence.
• Never fold, unfold, staple, attempt to reassemble torn
paper fragments, or allow shifting of torn or shredded
paper fragments collected from waste containers, etc.
• Collect all questioned documents found at the scene.
• Check pockets for paper and paper fragments in clothing
worn by suspects, victims, and other persons of interest at
the scene; these fragments may be useful in associating the
person with other document evidence.
• Collect all tablets, notepads, spiral-bound notebooks,
etc., containing visible writing or not, as these may
contain pages with decipherable indentations and/or
paper fragments to associate them with questioned
documents.
• Collect handwriting samples: letters, diaries, and other
existing written documents at the scene (standards );
also collect requested writing samples (exemplars )
from victims, witnesses, and suspects who may not be
available later to render samples of their handwriting.
• Collect computers, printers, typewriters, rubber
stamps, embossers, etc., for comparison
purposes, when these devices may be related to
questioned documents in an investigation.
• Check any service documentation for these
devices that may also be useful in associating
devices with questioned documents.
• Collect paper, printer cartridges (ink, toner, and
imaging drums), pens, markers, and other
supplies that may be related to content of
questioned documents.
• Never write on packaging containing a collected
document once the document is inserted.
• Handle documents with gloves to avoid adding
fingerprints that may obscure latent prints of
evidentiary value.
• Use thicker paper, e.g., pieces of manila folders, and
insert them into paper envelopes or paper box
evidence containers, etc.
• When necessary, pick up documents by touching the
smallest area possible, such as one corner.
• Avoid bending, folding, unfolding,
otherwise altering document evidence.
stapling,
or
• Label the container just before inserting evidence into
them.
Marking Evidence
• When acceptable, mark evidence containers instead of
evidence.
• Mark documents for identification as unremarkably as
possible. For instance, make small, limited markings in
an area not intersecting any of the document printing
or writing (e.g., very small initials and an abbreviated
time/date entry along a bottom corner on the back of a
document).
• Use a pencil for markings if documents might be
examined later for latent prints.
Evidence container labeling:
• Label a container (your initials and identification number,
the date and time, evidence number, location, and
evidence description).
• Selecting a container:
• For burnt paper, use a rigid, flat box lined with sheet
cotton or similar material.
• Use an envelope when collecting checks, receipts, letters,
reports, or other similar documents.
• Always use envelopes that are larger than documents
collected.
Wet Documents:
• To gather up wet single-page documents, use cardboard
sheets, e.g., pieces of manila folders.
• Wet documents can be dried by placing them on a clean
piece of paper towel and then place in a secure location for
drying.
• Sheets of clean paper towels, etc., should be spread
beneath the area used to handle moist documents in order
to collect any trace evidence that falls from the documents
during handling. The items used to catch trace items may
also need to be collected and handled as evidence.
• DO NOT attempt to unfold wet documents, as this should
ONLY be done by laboratory forensic document examiners.
Packaging
• Place dried documents between clean sheets of paper, such
as paper towels or cardboard sheets, to provide a
protective covering before placing them into labeled
evidence containers.
• Label evidence containers before placing objects into them
to avoid degrading existing evidence.
• Handle documents carefully to avoid bending, folding, or
otherwise degrading them.
• Handle documents appropriately to protect any latent
prints that may exist.
Packaging
• Close the container and seal the entire opening with
evidence tape. Write your initials and identification number
and the date and time, as required, across the evidence
tape seal.
• Carefully pick up and fold the paper used as a catch-surface
beneath drying documents. Retain any trace evidence that
may have fallen onto this catch-surface paper from the
evidence, by folding it inward from the corners.
• Label the folded paper, indicating the evidence number of
the item that was dried; e.g., “This paper was used below
evidence #36 while it was drying.”
Bombs and Explosives
• Bombs and explosives recognition and collection are best
performed by specialized personnel. For scene personnel,
evidence may be observed through smell, sight and sound;
these factors should be recorded in notes.
• NEVER attempt to collect any evidence until you have
spoken with a bombs and explosives investigator or
specialist.
• Follow the instructions provided by the bombs and
explosives investigator or specialist with whom you speak.
Ignitable Liquids
• Accelerants and ignitable liquids recognition and collection are best
performed by specialized personnel. For scene personnel, evidence
may be observed through smell, sight and sound, and should be
recorded in notes.
• NEVER attempt to collect any evidence until you have spoken with
an accelerants and ignitable liquids investigator or specialist.
• Ensure the safety of people at or near the scene.
• Follow the instructions provided by the accelerants and ignitable
liquids investigator or specialist with whom you speak.