Chapter 16
Document and Voice
Examination
Students will able to understand
the techniques used to
determine the authenticity of
documents
I. Document and Voice Examination

A. General Concepts

1. Document examiners observe handwriting,
typewriting (old school), and printers


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a. Should have skills involving microscopy,
photography, and chromatography
b. Types of document alterations include overwritings, erasures, and crossing out of words
c. Reconstruct written contents of charred or burned
writings and identifying indented writings (left behind
on the next piece of paper)
Handwriting Analysis
Manual Typewriter
Selectric Typewriter by IBM
Overwriting on Discs (before CDs)
Charred Paper Analysis
I. Document and Voice Examination

A. General Concepts (cont.)

2. Questioned Documents are “any documents
whose source or authenticity are questioned

a. Any written or printed materials
 Usually concerned with suicide notes and legal
documents related to wills
I. Document and Voice Examination

B. Handwriting Comparisons


1. Experts conclude that “no two individuals”
write exactly alike
2. Starts with the “style” of writing


a. Copy letters as children
b. Style is what is fashionable for an area or time
period
 Ex. Old English, Cursive, Calligraphy, Palmer (USA), ZaneBlosser (USA), etc.

c. Attempt to copy standard letter forms
Old English writing style
Calligraphy
Palmer handwriting style
Zane-Blosser handwriting style
I. Document and Voice Examination

B. Handwriting Comparisons (cont)

2 (cont)

c. (cont)
 As writing becomes subconscious, people develop
many unique writing traits
 To change any habit, you must think about the
change every time you write, until the change
becomes a new “habit”
 Major differences are attributed to mechanical,
physical, and mental functions
I. Document and Voice Examination

B. Handwriting Comparisons (cont)

3. other considerations are associated with the
arrangement of the writing on the paper


a. includes spacing of the letters and words, crowding
of the letter or words, insertions, and alignments
b. can add spelling, punctuation, phraseology, and
grammar
 Ex. Writing like texting, writing like talking not in
complete sentences, etc.
I. Document and Voice Examination

B. Handwriting Comparisons (cont)

4. Authorship of documents

a. must compare all characteristics of both known
and unknown materials
 Looking for multiple dissimilarities

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b. as long as there are enough documents to
compare authorship, it is easy to determine
5. Well thought out written materials are hard
to identify (as forgeries)
6. Difficult to maintain another person’s “style”
7. Always must consider drugs and alcohol
influence when disputing authorship
I. Document and Voice Examination

C. Collection of Handwriting Samples

1. Exemplar is the term used to describe an adequate
number of known writings

These papers must be similar to the papers in question
 i.e. same size rule, written in pen (type or color) or pencil,
etc.


These documents should include specific words that match
words on the questioned document
2. Large numbers of documents can show the examiner
“natural variation” within a person’s handwriting

Exact copies of signatures never work… too easy to forge
and detect
I. Document and Voice Examination

C. Collection of Handwriting Samples
(cont)


3. Documents collected should be from the
same time period
4. Some handwriting samples are collected
under court order


The Supreme Court ruled on this in Gilbert v.
California, where samples may be collected before
council is requested or granted
In US v. Mara, handwriting samples are NOT
considered “unreasonable search and seizure”
I. Document and Voice Examination

C. Collection of Handwriting Samples (cont)

5. Court ordered samples may be consciously altered by
the writer

Steps to reduce or avoid altering
1. Allow them to sit comfortably
2. Never show them questioned document
3. Provide a similar pen/pencil or paper
4. Dictated text should be the same or have similar
words…Can specify upper of lower case or both
 5. Produce 3 attempts of text
 6. For signatures, make them write text and then sign
 7. Examiners should look at attempts immediately looking for
forced changes
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I. Document and Voice Examination

D. Typewriting Comparison


Only worry about when used, very rare today!
E. Photocopier, Printer, and Fax

1. General Concepts


a. may attempt to identify the make and model of a
specific machine
b. may compare test samples from a suspect’s
machine
 Usually uses 10 test samples from the suspect machine
to verify the results
I. Document and Voice Examination

E. Photocopier, Printer, and Fax (cont)

C. Try to observe Transitory Defects


Debris from glass plates, inner cover, or mechanical
portions of the copier
For faxes look for the Transmitting Terminal Identifier
(TTI) Header
 Different type style from document
 Can be used to determine forgeries!

D. Will look at “class” characteristics


To identify the make and model
Includes toner type, paper type, toner fusing
method, etc.