Questioned Documents

The discipline of Questioned Document Examination covers many areas of concern.  Questioned material may consist of identification cards, contracts, wills, titles and deeds, seals, stamps, bank checks, handwritten correspondence, machine-generated documents (which are produced with photocopiers, fax machines, and printers), currency and electronic documents. In many instances, graffiti and digital signatures may be examined; however, due to the method of execution, various materials upon which the writing is produced and method of production, these types of questioned materials can present challenges.

Documents may contain valuable impression evidence if a page were underneath another document when the writing was performed upon the tops sheet and produced impressions which may be developed utilizing an electrostatic detection device. Documents that were shredded or burned may be able to be reconstructed and provide valuable information.

Evidence can be culled from the metadata of electronic signature files of digital documents which can provide information such as the author and date the document was written or created. Writing inks used to create the hand printing or handwriting can be differentiated utilizing a video spectral comparator which exposes the writings to various frequencies of lights and filters.

Questioned signatures or hand printing must be compared to known specimens. The best, readily accepted writing specimens can be obtained from items such as cancelled checks, letters, diaries, signed receipts, medical records, real estate contracts, tax records or other signed legal documents.

Drake Forensic Group, LLC operates a complete forensic laboratory. The laboratory is equipped with advanced digital computerized imaging equipment to include the Foster & Freeman Video Spectral Comparator which can differentiate ink.  Questioned document examination techniques are utilized to expose forgeries and alterations to allow the document examiner to display differences in infra-red absorption, infra-red luminescence, visible luminescence, watermarks and paper opacity within the questioned document.