BY

DR. MILLER F. PECKLEY

ACCREDITED FORENSIC SPECIALIST

LICENSED CRIMINOLOGIST

LICENSED SECURITY CONSULTANT

PAPER PRESENTED TO THE OFFICIALS AND STAFF OF THE OFFICE THE REGISTRAR UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008

MCR A211, UNIVERSIY OF BAGUIO

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

INTRODUCTIONOne of the common problems encountered by

the school administration in the management of its university records are the common forgery and falsifications of submitted documents. These documents are commonly submitted to different offices specially the Registrar’s Office.

The Registrar’s Office being the depository of all University document, specially the transcript, diploma, grading sheet plays a significant role in the administration of the university records.

Considering the vital role of the office, Mr. Froilan C. Aspa who is the Head of the Registrar’s Office initiated this workshop on questioned document examination purposely to give basic background and knowledge to his staff on how to identify forged and falsified documents.

GENERAL TERMS

DOCUMENTAny material containing marks, symbols, or signs either visible, partially visible that may present or ultimately convey a meaning to someone, maybe in the form of pencil, ink writing, typewriting, or printing on paper.

QUESTIONEDA material which some issue has been raised or which is under scrutiny.

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT/DISPUTED DOCUMENTSOne in which the facts appearing therein may not be true, and are contested either in whole or part with respect to its authenticity, identity, or origin. “Disputed Document” and “Questioned Document” are used interchangeably to signify a document that is under special scrutiny or controversy.

STANDARD/EXEMPLARA term used by some document examiners and lawyers to characterize known material. Standard is the older term.

HOLOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTAny document completely written and signed by one person.

WRITINGIs the result of a very complicated series of acts, being as a whole 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 movements, which is an almost unconscious expression of certain ideas associated with script form.

SIGNATUREIs one’s name written by himself on a document as a sign of acknowledgment.(Formal and Informal)

FORGERYThe act of falsely making or materially altering, with intent to defraud, any writing which if genuine, might be of legal efficacy or the foundation of a legal liability.The act of erasing, substituting and altering by any means the figures, letters, words or signs contained therein.

FALSIFICATIONThe act/process of making the content/s of a document not the intended document.

KINDS OF DOCUMENT1. Public Document – Notarized by a notary

public or competent public official with solemnities required by law.

2. Official Document – issued by the government or its agents or its officers having the authority to do so and the offices, which in accordance with their creation, they are authorized to issue and be issued in the performance of their duties.

3. Private Document – Executed by a private person without the intervention of a notary public or of any person legally authorized, by which documents, some disposition or agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth.

4. Commercial Document – Executed in accordance e\with the Code of Commerce or any Mercantile Law, Containing disposition of Commercial rights or obligations.

KINDS OF WRITING1.Cursive – Connected writing in which one letter is

joined to the next.

ex: Miller2.Script – Separated Writing

ex: Miller F. Peckley3.Block – All capital letters

ex: DR. MILLER F. PECKLEY

RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICSBefore one could make a comparison and

proper evaluation of the characteristics of handwriting, he must know first how to observe or recognize these writing characteristics.

The following are the writing characteristics in relation to handwriting examination.

1.Form M M M M M M M M M M

P P P P P P P P P P2.Slope or slant

Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley3.Size

Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley

4. Proportionsex: Miller F. Peckley

5. Ratioex: Miller F. Peckley

6. Strokesa. circular – Miller F. Peckleyb. Elliptical- Miller F. Peckleyc. Angular – Miller F. Peckley

7. Initial and Terminal Strokes

Initial Miller Terminal

8. Pen-lift – Miller F. Peckley9. Hiatus – M ill er10. Lateral Spacing – Miller F. Peckley

10. Shading – Miller F. Peckley11. Line Quality

Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley Good Bad

12. AlignmentMiller F. Peckley

Good Misalignment

13. RhythmMiller F. Peckley iller F. Peckley

14. Pen PressureMiller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley

15. RubricMiller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley

Miller F.

Peckley

KINDS OF FORGERYA.Simple Forgery (Spurious Signature)

The forger signs in the absence of the facsimile of the genuine signature.

EX:

Genuine Signature Simple Forgery

B.Simulated ForgeryThe forger simulate the genuine signature or handwriting.

EX:

Genuine Signature Simulated Forgery

C. Traced ForgeryIs the result of an attempt to transfer to a fraudulent document an exact facsimile of a genuine signature or writing by some tracing process. (Carbon Process, Indentation Process, and transmitted light process)

EX:

Genuine Signature Traced Forgery

SIGNS OF FORGERYA.Slow, broken strokes and wavy linesB.Unnecessary retouching or patchingC.Lack of difference in pressure on up and down strokesD.Blunt starting and ending strokesE.Meaningless markings and dots caused by a false startF.Shading in more than one direction caused by an effort

to imitate line, which is done by twisting the pen rather than varying the pressure or imitating pen hold.

Note: This is an original presentation of the speaker as a forensic specialist and criminologist intended to educate the staff of the office of the registrar University of Baguio. Any questions, suggestions, comments and additional information can be forwarded to my e-mail address, firearm_forensic@yahoo.com (DR. MILLER F. PECKLEY)