Digital evidence is a new branch of forensics. Not only do forensic investigators have to go to school to learn the proper measures of collecting and deciphering evidence, but they also have to learn how to find and use digital evidence via computers. The following information details various kinds of digital evidence, how it is uncovered, and how it is used in court.
Cameras All over the City
All kinds of cameras are taking your picture every day. Traffic cameras record your every move, whether on foot or in your car. Security cameras and ATM cameras at banks are taking photos and videos of you, to protect your accounts. Cameras in storefront windows also catch images of you strolling by.
In the event that a crime is committed, all of the cameras within view of the incident provide some digital evidence to the event. All the video and/or photos are rounded up from these places and are scanned by digital forensics experts, to get a better view of the possible perpetrators. The digital forensic analysts clean up grainy videos and pictures to make very clear images, which are then shown in court to the judge and, when applicable, the jury, as well.
Hidden Evidence on Personal Computers
In cases where police officers are trying to find rapists and child molesters, there is a very good chance that violent and inappropriate images are present on the personal laptops of the accused. The problem is, these people have become a little smarter with hiding their images and video. Software you can download covers the heinous images and footage with pretty screen savers and background images. Digital forensic experts crack open these hidden caches of crime evidence, and present some of it in court.
Emails
In light of the much-publicized Hilary Clinton emails, many people have become aware of the digital evidence trails emails leave behind. You cannot fully delete these emails, either. They are floating in cyberspace, and a digital forensics expert can find them.
How These Things are Used in Court
This kind of evidence is quite incriminating. It is akin to being caught in the act. The forensics experts can, will, and do find it. Then, they save what they find to a disc, a drive, etc.. When you are on trial, this evidence is brought before judge and jury, and the prosecuting attorney will put whatever spin on it he/she can. It will be very difficult for your defense attorney to undo the damage, when the evidence is right there for everyone to see.
For more information, talk to companies like The NGH Group.
Share24 January 2018
Like many people, I once found learning about law very intimidating. My brother went to law school and I remember glancing through a few of his books and wondering if I was actually reading English due to all of the legal jargon in them! However, when I ended up in a sticky legal situation due to accidentally breaking a small law I didn't know existed, I realized that I needed to learn more about the law, so I could make sure to follow it precisely in the future. My brother helped to break down some complicated legal concepts to me, and I have since been studying up online. I want to post what I have learned and continue to learn about law in the future on my new blog, so my knowledge cannot only help myself, but also help others!