QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

EXAMINATION
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
 INTRODUCTION
One 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
DOCUMENT
Any 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.
QUESTIONED
A material which some issue has been raised or which is under
scrutiny.
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT/DISPUTED DOCUMENTS
One 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/EXEMPLAR
A term used by some document examiners and lawyers to
characterize known material. Standard is the older term.
HOLOGRAPHIC DOCUMENT
Any document completely written and signed by one person.
WRITING
Is 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.
SIGNATURE
Is one’s name written by himself on a document as a sign of
acknowledgment.(Formal and Informal)
FORGERY
The 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.
FALSIFICATION
The act/process of making the content/s of a document not the
intended document.
 KINDS OF DOCUMENT
1. 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 WRITING
1. Cursive – Connected writing in which one letter is joined to the next.

ex: Miller
2. Script – Separated Writing

ex: Miller F. Peckley

3. Block – All capital letters

ex: DR. MILLER F. PECKLEY

 RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS
Before 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 P
2. Slope or slant
Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley
3. Size
Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley
4. Proportions
ex: Miller F. Peckley
5. Ratio
ex: Miller F. Peckley
6. Strokes
a. circular – Miller F. Peckley
b. Elliptical- Miller F. Peckley
c. Angular – Miller F. Peckley
7. Initial and Terminal Strokes
Initial Miller Terminal
8. Pen-lift – Miller F. Peckley
9. Hiatus – M ill er
10. Lateral Spacing – Miller F. Peckley
10. Shading – Miller F. Peckley
11. Line Quality
Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley
Good Bad
12. Alignment
Miller F. Peckley
Good Misalignment
13. Rhythm
Miller F. Peckley iller F. Peckley
14. Pen Pressure
Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley
15. Rubric
Miller F. Peckley Miller F. Peckley
 KINDS OF FORGERY
A. Simple Forgery (Spurious Signature)
The forger signs in the absence of the facsimile of the genuine
signature.
EX:

Genuine Signature Simple Forgery

B. Simulated Forgery
The forger simulate the genuine signature or handwriting.
EX:

Genuine Signature Simulated Forgery

C. Traced Forgery
Is 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 FORGERY
A. Slow, broken strokes and wavy lines
B. Unnecessary retouching or patching
C. Lack of difference in pressure on up and down strokes
D. Blunt starting and ending strokes
E. Meaningless markings and dots caused by a false start
F. 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)