RCFL Services

Any law enforcement agency operating in the Northwest RCFL's service area may request assistance with the following activities–

Pre-Seizure Consultation– The RCFL can help with search warrant preparation (only as it applies to digital evidence) by advising on related language that may be included in the affidavit.

On-Site Seizure and Collection– Requests for this type of assistance should be made a minimum of 48 hours in advance (the more lead time the better) by submitting a completed Field Service Request Form to the RCFL. On occasion, an agency will uncover digital evidence that they are unprepared to manage. Under these circumstances, the advance notice requirement is waived. Once the RCFL evaluates the search request, the Operations Manager assigns it to an Examiner for action.

Duplication, Storage and Preservation of Electronic Equipment and other Digital Evidence– Examinations are typically conducted on copies of the original evidence. Therefore, RCFL Examiners, can either duplicate (or copy the information) the media on-site, or they will bring the electronic equipment to the laboratory where they will duplicate the media and perform the examination.

Prompt, Accurate, and Impartial Examinations of Digitally Stored Media– RCFL Examiners are scientists—and as such, their job is to conduct a thorough and objective examination of an electronic device to locate digital evidence and turn it into something that the investigator can review. It is not the Examiner’s responsibility to analyze the data for its meaning or significance to the investigation. This impartiality and objectivity lends credibility to both their findings and subsequent court testimony.

Courtroom Testimony– As records are recovered from seized digital evidence, the prosecutor is likely to direct the Examiner to introduce the computer or digital evidence into court. As an expert witness, the Examiner explains under oath, how they conducted the examination and what they discovered as a result.