FORENSIC 4: QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

MODULE 10: WRITING INSTRUMENTS

The care, handling and preservation of documents can be discussed adequately by setting forth certain
positive rules of action in the form of “Do’s” and listening several admonitions in the form of “Don’ts”.
 
“DO’S”
1.       Keep documents unfolded in protective envelope.
Protective Envelope – the most useful and effective covering of a disputed document is a transparent
plastic envelope.
2.       Take disputed papers to the document examiner’s laboratory at the first opportunity.
3.       If storage is necessary, keep the document in a dry place away from excessive heat and strong
light.
Proper Storage – Once a document is disputed, it is seldom stored or filed for long, but important
documents are often kept for years. Some of these maybe challenged long after they were prepared,
the document may deteriorate seriously.
 
 
“DON’TS”
1.       Do not handle disputed papers excessively or carry them in a pocket for a long time
2.       Do not mark disputed documents
3.       Do not mutilate or damage by repeated folding, creasing, cutting, tearing or punching for filing
purposes.
4.       Do not allow anyone except qualified specialist to make chemical or do not treat or dust for latent
fingerprints before consulting a document examiner.
 
THE CARE OF DISPUTED DOCUMENTS AND DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
 
It is a basic requirement, not only a common sense principle, that when a document becomes disputed
and deposited in court or with the lawyer to maintain its original condition, it should be kept unfolded
and in a separate. Proper-size envelope, or folder. This is true not only for disputed documents, but for
any other important documentary evidence
It is also advisable and preferable in all instances that right after a document becomes disputed,
questioned or important, to make not only the usual photo static copy, but also a proper photograph
photo-enlargement, done if possible by a document expert, or under the supervision of a document
expert.
 
When working on the preparation of a case it is often necessary for the lawyer or court to handle
repeatedly the disputed document. Should this be necessary, instead of handling and working with the
original document, the photograph should be used.
Every touching, folding, refolding, or pointing to certain parts of a document can change the physical
condition of that portion of the document. It can be decisive to the case For example, touching with wet

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FORENSIC 4: QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
MODULE 10: WRITING INSTRUMENTS

hands or fingers can create smearing in the ink; pointing with a pencil can leave marks that create a
suspicion of "previous" pencil marks, or experiments as proof of attempted forgery.
Pointing at a document with any other instruments, such as a sharp stick, can cause slight damage,
which, although, cannot be seen by the naked eye, can show definite marks under the microscope or
on the enlarged photograph.
 
THE EQUIPMENT OF A DOCUMENT LABORATORY
The Room
            It is ideal that separate room should be built for physical examination and photographing and
processing to the extent of utilizing specialized photography.
Optical Equipment’s
a.       Hand magnifier
A magnifying lens that is just enough in its magnification (at least capable of making four-times the
size of the original), having a diameter of about two inches but not more than or less than one inch
will be reasonable to cover a wider field of view.
b.      Microscopes
A device used for producing a much larger view of a very small objects so that they can be seen
clearly.
·         Stereoscopic microscope – this microscope is of unique form for it gives an examiner
three dimensional enlargement of the specimen under consideration making it ideal for
examination of cross writings, writing across a folds, sequence of strokes and disturb fiber partly
concealed.
·         Forensic Comparator microscope- sometimes they called it three-in-one microscope, an
instrument that can bring together two objects into the same field of view so that they may be
easily be compared under the same degree of magnification.
c.       Camera and Lens
      An S-L-R camera has its indispensable used in questioned document examination for
discovering and proving in court until at present. An appropriate stand is necessary to maintain
parallelism between the camera and the document.
MEASURING APPARATUS
                  In document examination, measurement plays a very significant role for in some cases it is
become a sole basis in determining genuineness of the document.
a. Hand writing measuring test plates - This instrument is about a foot or fifteen inches in length
either plastic, metal or glass made, an instrument with graduated scales in both inches and
centimetres with these scales, measurements will be easy and direct on the document.
b. Typewriting measuring test plates -Typewriting measuring test plates Search Measuring
instrument design to measure the typeface pitch of a given typewriting as well as determining
alignment, scale and proportion of the type characters. A valuable scale for use on typescript consist
of a set of parallel lines about half-inch apart. Each line has a short intersecting lines at usual
spacing of 9,10,12 and 16 to the inch as well as one of 2.6 mm. If a type prints does not conform to
any of this thin scale it only connotes that it was spaced on the metric system.

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FORENSIC 4: QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
MODULE 10: WRITING INSTRUMENTS

SPECIAL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

A.     The visible light application
1.       Direct lighting - This type of light examination is generally applies for photographing purpose.
In as much as document are to be photograph in a close distance a separate light should be
required in order to obtain a good exposure of the document being photograph and in some case
this light examinations also useful in cases of erasures and concealment of erased surface by
addition of certain substance after erasure has been made.
2.       Oblique Lighting - This type of lighting process positioned the lamp at one side with the
source of illumination striking the surface of the paper at a very low angle/This Will cause varying
angles to the light incident for every uneven area on a document.
3.       Side lighting – in this process the paper is held vertically and the light strikes the surface of
the paper from one side. This is used in showing presence of disturb fiber due to mechanical
erasure and indention.
4.       Transmitted light - placed beneath it. The lamp is house in a box sealed in all side except
with one with the glass or a lamp may also be backed with a metal reflector for a more powerful
source of illumination. This lighting examination is very useful in determination of watermarking in
paper, shows fiber arrangement in paper as well as sequence of strokes.
B.     Artificial light gadget
1.       The X-ray or Roentgen- X-rays of very soft radiation or Genz rays can be used for purpose
of making a transmitted light photographed to show up watermarking as well any thinner surface of
the paper like the site of erasures.
2.       Ultra-violet light gadget - The Ultra-violet light gadget appears in various forms, some in a
form similar to a fluorescent lamp where the glass envelope also acts as a filter which absorbs the
bulk of the visible radiation and allowing the shorter wave lengths to pass through. This lamp is
commercially termed as the "black light" for at times that the power is off the bulb is colored black.
This lamp is found to be very useful both for commercial and laboratory application.
3.       Infra-red Lamp – The used of infra-red photography refers to that special type of black and
white photography whereby image are reproduced through the action of infra-red rays on sensitized
films.
Uses of Infra-red
1.       Shows gun powder strains;
2.       Deciphering altered or faded writings due to age;
3.       Restoration of writing in charred documents;
4.       Decipherment of obliterated writing;
5.       Differentiate paints or pigments which visually identical but different composition;
6.       Detection and demonstration of certain secret writing or stains ion cloth or paper;
7.       Record subject in total darkness without being detected;
8.       Addition, interlineations or insertion; and
9.       In surveillance Photography night vision