Expert Witness Blog
In Report Writing and Opinion Terminology, document examination expert witness Ronald N. Morris writes:
REPORT FORMAT The FDE uses a report format he is comfortable with, or one established by the laboratory in which he works. No one format is the only correct and accepted one to use. However, whatever format is used it should incorporate the following basic elements:
A. Questioned: A clearly written, and complete description of all the questioned documents submitted for examination.
B. Known: A clearly written, and complete description of all the known writing, and who wrote it C. Requested Examinations: A clearly written statement of the examination(s) requested.
D. Examination Results: The use of clearly written and easily understood language and concepts too accurately convey the conclusions reached by the FDE, based on the examination and comparison of the submitted documents. Clarification statements or examples, when used in the report, should only be included to assist the reader of the report in understanding the full significance of the conclusions.
E. Remarks: This section describes the disposition of the submitted documents, and other relevant comments. For chain of custody purposes, the disposition of evidence statements must be clearly written.
Request for additional known writing or other additional evidence can also be included in this section. It can also be a part of the appropriate conclusion statement in the examination results section. Other information such as how much advance notice is required to prepare court illustrations, or other pertinent information can also be included in this section of the report.