Document Examination

Document examiners work with any type of material that conveys property or sends a message. Documents can take the form of harassing letters or notes, wills, transfers of land, business contracts, threatening letters, forged signatures or altered documents.

The examination of questioned documents consists of the analysis and comparison of questioned handwriting, hand printing, typewriting, commercial printing, photocopies, papers, inks, and other documentary evidence with known material in order to determine the authenticity of the disputed material.

Additional examinations address altered documents e.g. erasure restoration, obliterations, raised, added, or substituted entries, etc., restoration and preservation of indented writings; and digital imaging/ image processing to clarify or reveal details.

Where appropriate the document may also be treated for the presence of latent fingerprints and or DNA

Working with the Document Examiner

If you suspect that you have a forged or altered document first make a ‘working’ photocopy of it to avoid handling it any more than necessary.

Protect the ORIGINAL document by placing it in a report “sheet protector” cover or file folder. On no account highlight words or passages, make notes on the suspect document or write on other papers on top of the suspect document

The document or its cover may also bear latent fingerprints or other invisible evidence and it will be important to make a note of who has actually touched it since it was discovered.

If document in question is a photocopy, do not place it in a plastic cover, which could damage the writing. Folded documents such as letters should not be re-folded. The material should be preserved in a folder or large envelope.

The examiner may request contemporaneous comparison documents, that is, signatures or writings made about the same time as the questioned writing. Begin to assemble documents that can be admitted into evidence and that are acknowledged as being genuine. If the note is an anonymous note, and you have a suspect, assemble writings of the suspect as well as other people who may not be strong suspects but could be involved.

The best evidence is always the original document if it exists, however, on occasions directions for further needs and, possibly, a definite conclusion can be reached from a photocopy.