CHA Document Examination & Forensic Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which technique is most commonly used to reveal indented writing (ESDA) on questioned documents?
- Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (Correct answer)
- Infrared reflectography
- UV fluorescence scanning
- Thin-layer chromatography
Correct answer: Electrostatic Detection Apparatus
The Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA) detects indented writing by exploiting electrostatic charge differences on the document surface.
Question 2: When comparing typewritten documents, the examiner should primarily look for:
- Consistent ink color across all pages
- Alignment irregularities and typeface wear patterns (Correct answer)
- Paper fiber density measurements
- Watermark placement only
Correct answer: Alignment irregularities and typeface wear patterns
Alignment irregularities and typeface wear are individuating characteristics that help link a document to a specific typewriter.
Question 3: A document examiner discovers that ink on a contract dries from the bottom layer upward. This most likely indicates:
- Normal ink oxidation
- The document was written on dampened paper
- Ink was added after the original printing (Correct answer)
- The paper is of high-acid content
Correct answer: Ink was added after the original printing
When ink dries from the bottom upward, it suggests it was applied over existing content, indicating a later addition or alteration.
Question 4: In forensic document examination, what does 'page substitution' refer to?
- Replacing one word with another on the same page
- Swapping an original page with a fraudulent replacement in a multi-page document (Correct answer)
- Altering the date on a document
- Using a different ink to overwrite signatures
Correct answer: Swapping an original page with a fraudulent replacement in a multi-page document
Page substitution is a fraud technique where a genuine page in a multi-page document is replaced with a fabricated one.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'obliteration' in document examination?
- Removing text by erasing, overwriting, or covering it to conceal original content (Correct answer)
- Adding new text to a blank area of a document
- Photocopying a document to hide alterations
- Signing a document with a false identity
Correct answer: Removing text by erasing, overwriting, or covering it to conceal original content
Obliteration is the deliberate concealment of original writing through physical or chemical means.
Question 6: When examining a suspected forged signature, which feature is LEAST useful for comparison?
- Pen lift positions
- Line quality and tremor
- The color of the ink used (Correct answer)
- Proportional relationships between letters
Correct answer: The color of the ink used
Ink color can be changed easily and is not a reliable individualizing characteristic for signature comparison.
Question 7: A questioned document shows crossing strokes where newer ink sits on top of older ink in the intersection. What conclusion can be drawn?
- The newer ink was written first
- The older ink was written second
- The stroke with ink on top was written after the one beneath it (Correct answer)
- Both strokes were written simultaneously
Correct answer: The stroke with ink on top was written after the one beneath it
In ink intersection analysis, the stroke whose ink rests on top of the other was written second.
CHA Document Examination & Forensic Analysis 2
Which technique is most commonly used to reveal indented writing (ESDA) on questioned documents?