Document – any material containing marks, symbols, or signs either visible, or partially visible that may
present a meaning to someone, in form of pencil, ink writing, typewriting, or printing on paper.
Legal Definition of Document
1. Written document which a right is established.
2. Refers to any physical embodiment of information of ideas (e.g. letter, contract, blue print etc)
Kinds of documents
1. PUBLIC DOCUMENT – Notarized by a notary public
2. OFFICIAL DOCUMENT – Issued by the government
3. PRIVATE DOCUMENT – Executed by a private person without intervention of a notary public or
any legally authorized person
4. COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT – Executed in accordance with the Code of Commerce, commercial
rights.
WRITING WHICH DO NOT CONSTITUTE DOCUMENT (optional review)
1. People vs. Camacho – A draft which is not yet approved by proper authority
2. People vs. Santiago – Mere blank forms of official documents
3. People vs. Agnis – Pamphlets or books which do not evidence, mere merchandise
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT – Any signature, handwriting, typewriting or other mark whose source is
doubtful
Disputed Document – an argument or controversy over the document and strictly speaking this is its
true meaning
Signature – one’s written name as a sign of acknowledgement
CLASSES OF QD
1. Documents with questioned signatures
2. Fraudulent alteration
3. Disputed holographic wills
4. Investigated typewriting
5. QD on issues of their age or date
6. QD on issue on material used in their production
7. Documents investigated because it is all alleged that they identify some persons through
handwriting
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION (QDE) – Branch of forensics, analysis of disputed documents
Divisions of QDE
1. Criminalistics Examination – detection of forgery, erasure, alteration or obliteration of
documents
2. Handwriting Investigation – determining the author of writing
Goal of QDE
1. Determine if a document is genuine
2. Identifying potential authors of the document
3. Produce a complete report to testify in court
1. Questioned Document Examiners – Examiner analyzes qd, capable of more than just questions
of authorship
2. Historical Dating – Work involving verification of age and worth of a document or object, can
get as complicated as Carbon Dating
3. Fraud Investigators – Work that often overlaps with document examine, focuses money trail
and criminal intent
4. Paper & Ink Specialist – Public or Private experts who date, type source or catalogue types of
paper, watermarks, ink using chemical methods
5. Forgery Specialist - Experts who analyzed altered, obliterated, changed or doctored documents
and photos using infrared lighting
6. Handwriting Analysts – Psychology experts who asses personality traits from handwriting,
graphologists or graphoanalysts
7. Forensic stylistics – same purpose but by looking at semantics, spelling, word choice
8. Typewriting Analyst – expert on the origin used in typewritten material
9. Computer Crime Investigators – emerging group that relates to QDE through some common
investigative and testimonial procedures.
Scientific Methods in QDE
1. Analysis – properties, observed or measured.
2. Comparison – properties of the unknown determined and compared
3. Evaluation – Similarities and Dissimilarities
Apparatus for QDE
1. UV Lamp
2. Paper Cutter
3. Photo paper dryer
4. Photo enlarger
5. Oblique Light
6. Hand Lens
7. Camera with macro lens
8. Excellent eyesight
9. Video spectral comparator (VSC)
10. ElectroStatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA)
BAYBAYIN – 17 letters 3 vowels 14 consonants
SIPOL – sharp pointed piece of iron, ink is colored saps
Spain introduced Latin Alphabet
Dean C. Worcester – Act No. 156 – July 1, 1901 – Bureau of Government laboratories performing
biological and chemical examinations.
Dr. Paul C. Freer – Chemistry professor in University of Michigan – first director – June 21, 1901 –
analysis of counterfeit silver coins
Art of coinage – found in jars (GUSI) – PILONCITOS
PHILIPPINE COINAGE ACT – MARCH 2, 1903 –CHARLIES A. CONANT – “CONANT”
SUVE vs. DAWSON (1812) – Earliest handwriting testimony
STATE vs. GUMMER – acceptance of expert testimony QDE
AMERICAN BOARD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION (ABFDE)
Objective:
1. To establish, maintain and enhance standards of qualification
2. Certify applicants
PERSONALITIES ON DISPUTED DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION
1. ALBERT SHERMAN OSBORN – THE MIND OF THE JUROR… QUESTIONED DOCUMENT PROBLEMS
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINERS (ASQDE)
2. J. NEWTON BAKER – LAW OF DISPUTED AND FORGED DOCUMENTS
3. DR. WILSON R. HARRISON – DIRECTOR OF BRITISH GOV OFFICE HOME – SUSPECT DOCUMENTS
THEIR SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION
4. JOHN WIGMORE – FOUNDER – AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINOLOGY
TREE DIAGRAM – WIGMORE TREE
5. ELBRIDGE STEIN – PIONEER IN THE APPLICATION OF UV
