Justice System, Police, Courts What does Attest mean on a copy of a document

[mikeyv]

Jurisdiction

Massachusetts

For example if a high school transcript says "Attested by John Doe", no other information. What exactly does this mean?

(A) John Doe verified the transcript and the grades are correct
(B) John Doe isn't verified himself (this isn't notarized). And the grades are not verified (they could or could not be true). The only thing this means is someone named John Doe is claiming the grades are accurate, but they may or may not be.

 

[army judge]

For example if a high school transcript says "Attested by John Doe", no other information. What exactly does this mean?

The attestation in the instant matter at hand isn't worth anything.

ATTEST = To testify or confirm that something is true, genuine, or authentic.

John Doe's attestation, as to the authenticity of the transcript is useless.

As far as high school transcripts are concerned, it should contain a raised seal over the name of the school's registrar.

 

[Tax Counsel]

For example if a high school transcript says "Attested by John Doe", no other information. What exactly does this mean?

(A) John Doe verified the transcript and the grades are correct
(B) John Doe isn't verified himself (this isn't notarized). And the grades are not verified (they could or could not be true). The only thing this means is someone named John Doe is claiming the grades are accurate, but they may or may not be.

It means that John Doe is asserting that the information is true/accurate. I disagree with Army Judge that John Doe's attestation is necessarily worthless. How good it is depends on who John Doe is. For example, if John Doe was at the time the principal of the school the student attended that would suggest that John Doe has good reason to know that the grades are accurate as he presumably has access to the grade records. IMO a raised seal on the transcript adds nothing in most cases. A raised seal doesn't somehow make the information on the transcript more reliable. There are some situations in which a raised seal may be important as an assurance that the document did indeed come from the school, but that's really as far as the value of the seal goes.

 

[zddoodah]

For example if a high school transcript says "Attested by John Doe", no other information. What exactly does this mean?

Ask John Doe or the registrar at the high school.

 

[Zigner]

Ask John Doe or the registrar at the high school.

...or, @Tax Counsel might have hit the nail on the head: What does Attest mean on a copy of a document