• Any object which contains handwritten or printed material, whose source or authenticity is in doubt

• Handwritten
• Typewritten
• Copied (xerography)
• Computer printed
• Multiple surfaces - not limited to paper
• Painted
• Mirrors
• Walls

Questioned Document Examiners

    History

• Began in 1800’s in Europe when photographers tried to extend profession into document examination
• Bertillion gave erroneous evidence in famous "Dreyfus" case
• US acceptance delayed by common law rule prohibiting admission of known writings unless in evidence previously

QD’s Accepted in Court

• Osborn’s book: "questioned documents"
• Wigmore’s efforts to change law
• 1913 US code:

• Formal coursework
• Study of literature
• Apprenticeship
• Legal aspects
• Mock trial exercises
• Certification: American board of forensic document examiners (1976)

• Do not fold, cut, or tear
• Do not mark or write on QD
• Do not paperclip or staple
• Do not punch holes
• Process fingerprints AFTER document exam
• Hand deliver or registered mail
• Accurate chain of custody
• Photograph document upon receipt
• Initial and date documents
• Store in locked vault
• Minimize light exposure
• Minimize handling
• Keep in transparent, plastic folders
• Keep accurate records

• Learn to write by copying model letters
• Graded on penmanship
• Gradually attention shifts to content
• Handwriting becomes subconscious and individual

• Requested writings
• Given voluntarily by subject
• Samples are dictated
• Never show subject the QD
• Use same type of paper and writing instrument
• Make subject comfortable
• Collect signatures in context
• Be aware of age differences in exemplar and QD
• Nonrequest samples
• Made by subject
• On official documents during normal business transactions
• Personal writings
• Admissibility
• Acknowledged by subject
• Witnessed
• Normal course of business rule
• Examiner can testify that same person wrote QD and exemplar

• Line quality
• Word and letter spacing
• Relative height, width, size of letters
• Pen lifts and separations
• Connecting strokes
• Beginning and ending strokes
• Unusual letter formations
• Shading
• Slant
• Base line habits
• Fluorishes and embelllishments
• Placement of diacritics

• Lack of individuality
• Slowly written
• Unnatural appearance "drawing"
• Careful correction of mistakes
• Identically written signatures: tracing
• Lack of rhythm
• Unnatural starts and stops
• Inconsistent letters

• Inconsistent slant and letter formations
• Change of capitals
• Use of block lettering
• Major change in size of writing
• Using wrong hand
• Lack of rhythm
• Irregular spacing
• Unnatural starts and stops
• Excessive ornamentation

• Erasures
• Obliterations
• Additions
• Indented writings
• Charred documents
• Ink exams
• Comparisons
• Dating
• Paper
• Pencil lead

Charred Document

Altered Signature on Draft Card

Obliterated Endorsement on Check

Perforation Match on Postage Stamps

Research at MSU Forensic Science Lab: Ink Dating

• Problem: how does one tell if all the writing on a document is the same age?
• Need to determine relative age of writing

• Present methods use decrease in rate and extent of dye extraction owing to solvent evaporation and "hardening" of ink
• Determined by HPTLC and densitometry
• Method has not been subjected to rigorous scientific verification for reliability

• FTIR as marker for aging by exploiting appearance and disappearance of solvent and cross linking peaks
• Only one attempt has been made so we will start from first principles
• Direct microprobe MS with temperature programming to determine amount of volatile components in ink

• Artificial aging of documents
• Present method is heating: one hour at 100^oc = approximately 4 years aging of ballpoint ink
• We will explore new methods:
1. Oxidizing atmosphere: oxygen and ozone
2. UV radiation
3. We have access to inks of known age to verify