LEMERY COLLEGES

Department of Criminology
A. Bonifacio St. Bagong Sikat
Lemery, Batangas

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

(As forensic evidence in court proceedings)

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY III SECTION II

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
(FORENSIC 4)

Cabrera, Jheanelle L.
Submitted by:

Sherwin P. Chua
Submitted to:

March 2021
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this study is to provide knowledge and information related to
questioned document examination and its role as evidence in court proceedings.
Similar to the other pieces of evidence that can be use in court proceedings,
there is also a problem with its use and examination. Before the investigators and
examiners, the documents went through many hands and that made it hard for them
to determine who disputed the documents. To solve the problem, the methods of
proper handling documents was created.

FINDINGS
Many officers feel that because a questioned document has been handled by
several individuals, the processing for the suspects latent prints will provide futile. In
able for them to apprehend the suspect and punish him according to the crime he
committed.
The result of this study shows that questioned document examination plays
an important role in court proceedings as a forensic evidence for reason that in every
criminal cases, most of the time, there are documents involved and solved such
cases.

DISCUSSION
Forensic document examination includes the expertise of handwriting
identification. Handwriting includes cursive of script style writing, hand printings,
signatures, numerals and other written marks or signs. This area of forensic science
is a broad field where both handwritten and machine produced documents are
characterized and compared to determine facts about their origins. A document is a
substrate with marks or symbols which covey thought. A document in a criminal
matter is the only physical evidence that portrays thought. Questioned documents
are important in forensic science because they can help figure out if a signature is
forged or not. For example, if someone steals a check book, they examine the
signature to see if it is forged. questioned document investigation is an in-depth
look into a document that is being questioned in the case of fraud, forgery, etc.
The investigation is usually initiated in the event that large sums of money,
heirlooms, or other assets are being called into question by a third party. A
questioned document investigation may also be called upon to discover
altered documents, fabricated checks, anonymous letters, disputed wills, and
many other disputed documents. A forensic analysis of the questioned
document will typically involve a comprehensive analysis of the paper, ink,
indentations, and tools used to produce the document.

CONCLUSION
However, because of circumstances surrounding the handling of a typical
questioned document, if the document can be protected when its picked up by the
investigating officer, the latent print examination will not necessarily be affected by
the previous handling. Remember, only one identifiable print which proves useful in
the investigation is important evidence.
 RECOMMENDATION
In order to keep the accurateness and credibility of the documents to a
sufficient evidence in court proceedings, the investigator and the examiner must
possess the ability of determining the real author/owner of such so they can serve
justice.

REFERENCE

https://dps.iowa.gov/divisions/criminal-investigation/criminalistics-laboratory/
questioned-documents