There are situations where prosecutor asks for all SMS messages in a mobile phone. And you find out that the phone is not supported by Cellebrite, Xact and other devices. So you have to make a manual examination and write down all SMS, where there are hundreds of them.
What would you do in a situation like this if you were a state-run lab? Would you sit and write each SMS manually for days and keep other examination reequests lie there and wait for days?
Or would you just say in your report that there are many messages in the mobile phone and that it was not supported by the examination device so it would take so much time to write each of them down, and that you can not do it at all.
Any comments appreciated.
Hi,
I’d rather write those SMS down. If prosecutor ask for it means he needed.
Also, there should be a note in examination report that examination devices do not support the model of cell phone – and that is why you have done this manually.
Regards,
Makrakow
Yunus
Try videoing the handset examination and screens (texts, phonebook etc).
1) Make sure when videoing you have appropriate light (no light bulbs shining on the handset screen), the video camera has good zoom for close ups and that the video is on a tripod set down on a firm base (nothing worse than seeing video performed by shaking hands - causes nausea).
2) Ensure the video has integrity levels to demonstrate the video has not been contaminated in anyway. Make two working DVD copies and place the Master recording in secure holding.
3) Send a working DVD copy to the prosecutor and ask which texts required to be printed out as single screen shots.
4) As you have an identical working DVD copy when you receive your instructions from the prosecutor you can then set to work.
Reasoning
a) If you don't give the prosecutor options then it is no surprise when asked for hand-written evidence.
b) You provide this service where on rare occasions due to the limitations of a particular handset not being supported by other tools, it is part of your best practice methodology.
c) Hand-written evidence could be subject to errors due to your human-intervention, as can typed evidence.
d) Text messages can contain symbols and images (*emoticons) that are not easily translated into written evidence. As these symbols and images can add influence to the textual content, an error in the hand-written evidence that withholds the symbols or image from the text may translate to a serious or harmful threat. Moreover, even if you were to produce a typed version on your computer, it doesn't necessarily mean you wont make mistakes. Consequently, such errors (that need not occur) could import a false understanding of the defendant's behaviour in relation to the data.
*An emoticon is a textual expression representing the face of a writer's mood or facial expression - http//