In today’s digital age, electronic evidence or “ESI” (electronically stored information) is becoming increasingly important in legal proceedings. ESI can include anything from emails and text messages to social media posts and GPS data. However, ESI can be easily altered or destroyed, making it crucial to preserve this evidence in its original form. In this blog post, I’ll explore some best practices for preserving electronic evidence and maintaining your ESI.
If you become involved in a dispute, a lawsuit, get a subpoena or have to go to an arbitration or court, it is critical that your ESI is preserved.
Act Quickly
The first step in preserving electronic evidence is to act quickly. Time is of the essence, as electronic evidence can be easily altered or destroyed. A cup of coffee can spill on your laptop or your phone could get wet or broken. Therefore, it’s important to begin the preservation process as soon as possible after the evidence is discovered.
Identify Relevant Evidence
Before you begin preserving electronic evidence, it’s important to identify what evidence is relevant to your case. This will help you focus your preservation efforts and ensure that you don’t miss any important evidence.
Document Your Preservation Efforts
Documenting your preservation efforts is important for a number of reasons. First, it can help demonstrate to the court that you took reasonable steps to preserve the evidence. Second, it can help you keep track of what evidence you’ve preserved and where it’s located. Finally, it can help you avoid potential mistakes or oversights during the preservation process.
Don’t Alter or Delete Any Evidence
It’s important not to alter or delete any electronic evidence during the preservation process. Even minor changes to electronic evidence can be detected and can raise questions about the authenticity of the evidence. Make sure to make copies of any relevant evidence and preserve the original in its original format.
Use Forensic Tools
Forensic tools can be useful for preserving electronic evidence. These tools can help you create a forensically sound copy of the evidence and can ensure that the original evidence remains intact. In addition, forensic tools can help you identify metadata and other information that may be relevant to your case.
Secure Your Evidence
It’s important to secure your electronic evidence to prevent unauthorized access or tampering. This can include locking up physical devices, restricting access to electronic devices, and using strong passwords and encryption.
Follow Chain of Custody Procedures
Chain of custody procedures are important for maintaining the integrity of electronic evidence. This involves documenting who has handled the evidence, when it was handled, and what was done with the evidence. This can help ensure that the evidence remains admissible in court.
Test Your Evidence
Testing your electronic evidence is important to ensure that it is authentic and admissible in court. This can involve comparing the evidence to known originals or using forensic tools to analyze the evidence.
Keep Up-to-Date with Technology
Technology is constantly evolving, and it’s important to keep up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques for preserving electronic evidence. This can involve attending training sessions, reading industry publications, and consulting with experts in the field.
Conclusion
Electronic evidence is becoming increasingly important in legal proceedings, and it’s important to preserve this evidence in its original form. By following these best practices, you can help ensure that electronic evidence remains admissible in court and can help you build a stronger case. Remember to act quickly, identify relevant evidence, document your preservation efforts, use forensic tools, secure your evidence, follow chain of custody procedures, test your evidence, and keep up-to-date with technology. By doing so, you can help ensure that electronic evidence is preserved in a way that is accurate, reliable, and admissible in court.
