Criminology Ass

• Forensic Document Examination


  The study of physical evidence, and physical evidence cannot lie. Only failure to fit it or to hear its true testimony can deprive it of its value
• Trust the process
• Techniques in the examination of questioned documents

  • Microscopic examination
  • Transmitted light examination
  • Ultra violet examination
  • Oblique light
  • Photographic examination
• Microscopic examination


  • Stereoscopic examination with low and high power objectives is used to detect retouching, patching and unnatural pen lift in signature analysis. With proper angle and intensity of illumination, its aids in the decipherment of erasures, some minute's manipulation not perfectly pictured to the unaided eye and the sequence of entries done by different writing instrument.
• Transmitted light examination


  • Documents are objected this type of examination to determine the presence of erasures, matching of serration and some other types of alteration.
• Ultra violet examination


  • This is the type of examination is done after the lamp has been warmed up in order to give a maximum out put of the ultra violet light should be to the minimum duration in order to avoid fading of some writing ink and type writer ribbon. The exposures of a document the ultra violet light is useful when it consists of several pages and substitution is being suspected. The color and intensity of fluorescence reaction is very apparent in case of substituted page. Mechanical and chemical erasures will certainly change the reflectivity and fluorescence of the area affected.
• Oblique light


  • Decipherment of faded handwriting, determination of outlines in traced forgery, embossed impression, etc. are subjected to this type of examination.
• Photographic examination


  • This type of examination is very essential in every document examination.
• The danger of off hand opinions:
• Dangers of off hand opinions

  • A conscientious expert should not be influenced to form an off hand opinion, no matter how urgent a case seems to be, no matter how a client may influence him, no matter how much money is being offered for the "LATE HOURS OR WORKING DURING THE WEEKEND."
  • An expert can never afford to "just take a look" and express an opinion, or arrive at any conclusion. This is permissible only for a layman.
  • An expert always need time to make a painstaking and careful examination needs enough time to use the necessary instruments and optical tools; or time to make proper photo enlargements for the examination and study of the case.
  • If has happened in some cases that an off hand opinion, has sent an innocent man to prison, while a murderer was given a chance to escape.
• 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 attorney, in order 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 the disputed documents, but for many other important documentary evidence.
  • It is also advisable and preferable in all instances that right after the document becomes disputed, questioned or important, to make not only the usual photo static copy, but also a proper photograph or photo – enlargement, done if possible by the document expert or under the supervision of the document expert.
  • When working in the preparation of 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 the case. For example, touching with wet hands or fingers can create smearing in the ink, pointing with a pencil can leave marks that create a suspicion of previous pencil, or experiments as proof of attempted forgery.
  • Pointing a document with any other instruments, such as sharp stick, can cause slight damage, which although it can not be seen by the naked eye, can show definite marks under the microscope or on the enlarged photograph.
  • No test should be made to alter the conditions of the document; for example, the old-fashioned ink test, which was used to determine the age of the ink writing.
  • Should any test be necessary, insist that it should be done in the presence of a chemist, or in court, or in front of both parties involved the case.
• Classes of standard writings admissible for comparison

  • Standard writings witnessed
  • Standards writings admitted
  • Record Maintained in Regular Course of Business as Standard Writings
  • Government Document as standard writings
  • Ancient writings
  • Other Writings Standards
  • Familiarity Sometimes establish standard writings
  • Opinion Evidence
  • Genuineness of standard decided by court
• Disguise writing


  The individual who is attempting to disguise her or his handwriting is trying to produce a convention that they are not accustomed to.
• Indications of disguise in writing

  • Abnormally large writing
  • Abnormally small writing
  • Alteration in slant (usually backhand)
  • Usually variation in slant within a single unit of writing (with in a single signature)
  • Printed forms instead of cursive writing
  • Diminution in the usual speed of writing
  • Unusual widening or restriction of lateral spacing
• Kinds of disguises


  • Change of slant – from right to left or vice versa
  • Change of letter, either from cursive to block style or vice-versa
  • Change from cursive (conventional style) to block form or vice versa
  • Change of style from small to big or vice versa
  • Deteriorating one's handwriting
  • Using the wrong hand (AMBIDEXTROUS)
• Evidence of alcoholic intoxication in handwriting

  • Bizarre letterforms
  • Greatly enlarged writing
  • Illegible forms and writing generally
  • Uneven baseline
  • Meaningless blobs or extraneous strokes in the writing
  • Inconsistency in slant of writing
  • Inconsistency in the form of repeated letters
• Importance of contemporaneous standard
• Techniques for deciphering illegible writing

  • Erasures: mechanical and chemical - Can be deciphered with ultraviolet, visual inspection, photography, chemical analysis
  • Obliterated writing - Can be deciphered with magnifying lens, stereomicroscope, UV, visual, photography, iodine fuming, ammonium sulfide, carbon tetrachloride, turpentine, amyl acetate, and ethanol
  • Invisible writing - Also called sympathetic ink - Can be deciphered by using chemical agents like precipitating agents, physical agents like heat
  • Indented writing - Can be deciphered by using side- lighting, use of powders, iodine fuming
  • Carbon paper writing - Can be deciphered by photography
  • Contact writing - Can be deciphered by using photography
  • Charred document - Can be deciphered by using photography and fuming chamber
• Typewriter


  A machine that can reproduce printed characters on papers or that can produced printed letters and figures on paper.
• Principles of typewriter examination

  • The typefaces used by the different typewriter manufacturer can be differentiated on the basis of design and have dating significance.
  • Through usage, typewriters develop individually which can serve to identify the typewriting of a particular typewriter.
  • The gradual development of typewriters develops individuality plus ribbon condition and typeface. Cleanliness can be used to date a document of fix it written a period of time
  • Horizontal and vertical alignment, titling characters, lock of uniformity of impression (off footedness), type-face score, breads, defects, defects and deformities all serve to identify the type writing of a particular machine.
  • Peculiar habits of striking the typewriter keys, spacing, arrangement, punctuation, mistakes, corrections, can be used to identify at typist or differentiate typists.
  • A sheet of paper cannot be reinserted in a typewriter in exact register with previous typing done on the sheet of paper.
• Classification of typewriters as to typeface

  • Pica-Type - the typefaces are spaced ten characters to the horizontal inch
  • Elite - type - the typefaces are spaced twelve characters to the horizontal