The Purpose of This Website

The intended audience for this site is the legal profession and their clients, both individuals and businesses. The growth of electronic evidence is making litigation increasingly challenging for attorneys, and this site is intended to highlight emerging issues and provide education on both legal and technical issues.

That leads directly to the first caveat: non-attorneys are welcome to read and subscribe to this website. However, nothing on this site is intended to constitute legal advice. If you think that something on this site applies to your personal legal situation, you are urged to print out the applicable pages and show them your attorney.

The second caveat is related to the first. Although computer forensics does occur occasionally in civil cases (particularly divorce and theft of intellectual property), its primary use is in criminal cases and in particular, in cases involving child pornography. Part of the reason for establishing this site is the fact that the invention of the computer and the growth of the Internet have made it possible for law enforcement to uncover unprecedented amounts of information about suspects; the average laptop computer contains information that it would have taken investigators weeks or months to uncover in a physical search. Under such circumstances, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes on particular importance, and this site is dedicated in part to the support and affirmation of that Amendment and its companions in the Bill of Rights.

At the same time, it should be clearly understood that nothing in this site is intended to give any aid or comfort to those who sexually assault children, or who create, collect, or distribute child pornography. They are heinous crimes and should be prosecuted to full extent of the law. The goal of this site is simply to make sure that such prosecutions occur within the boundaries of our constitutional system.

Anyone who comes across child pornography should report it to one of the following agencies or organizations: the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection, the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative, or the local police.

Every effort has been made to provide accurate summaries of relevant cases. Needless to say, however, counsel should read individual opinions themselves before citing them for any proposition in a brief or pleading. The materials on this website are intended as an aid to research and not as a substitute for independent analysis.

If you would like to become a member of this site or simply try it for a short time, please click here.