Ways to Challenge a Digital Forensic Examiners Expertise

While digital forensic experts should be involved as early as possible, their involvement should go beyond examining digital evidence or evaluating evidence collected by law enforcement.  Using digital experts at trial can provide technical guidance in cross examination of prosecution experts.  Experts should also be used to evaluate the state’s crime lab’s adherence to the ISO Quality System requirements.  These standards rely heavily on documentation and allow a greater understanding of what happened with the evidence after it was collected.  Bench notes, examiner proficiency reports and quality audit reports are just a few of the documents that should be obtained and examined by defense experts.  The knowledge gained will enhance the defense’s ability to evaluate how the evidence was handled by laboratory personnel.  For additional information see Digital Evidence Innocence Initiative and IRIS LLC Digital Evidence Case Assessment Method