NCJ Number
215094
Date Published
February 2008
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Intended for judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and trial teams, this CD-ROM is an interactive training program on using and presenting digital evidence in a courtroom setting.
Abstract
The need for this training is clear, as it is becoming increasingly common for evidence in civil and criminal cases to be located on or generated by computers. Trials that involve this kind of evidence are in many ways similar to any other trial; however, digital evidence may be subject to some rules, procedures, and strategies that differ from other types of evidence. The featured instructional tool of the training is video footage of a mock trial conducted at Courtroom 21 of the College of William and Mary, under the co-sponsorship of the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. The training is designed to assist and instruct users in trying a case in which the key evidence is in digital form. Upon completing the training, users should have a better understanding of how to choose the appropriate courtroom technology, use technology for planning and presentation, apply the rules of procedure and evidence, and develop and present exhibits. The training is divided into modules that discuss the following topics: trial preparation, planning, and logistics (technical operation); trial preparation involving witnesses and evidence; evidence admissibility; evidence presentation; supplemental trial-phase tips; lessons learned; and exhibits and links. The content has been designed to provide users with interactive modular content that covers a variety of critical issues related to digital evidence and the use of courtroom technology. The mock trial allowed judges, prosecutors, academics, and Federal, State, and local investigators the opportunity to obtain information and observe some of the challenges associated with using digital evidence in the courtroom.