So I’m dealing with a federal court case, and I need to authenticate some Gmail and Outlook emails. Do I really need an expert witness for this, or can I do it myself? If I do need an expert, what’s their job in this?
Yeah, in federal court, experts are usually needed to confirm the emails weren’t altered and were sent from legit accounts.
Shay said:
Yeah, in federal court, experts are usually needed to confirm the emails weren’t altered and were sent from legit accounts.
Wait, how do they check that? Do they just look at the headers or something else?
Shay said:
Yeah, in federal court, experts are usually needed to confirm the emails weren’t altered and were sent from legit accounts.
Mostly headers, metadata, and ensuring the emails came from trusted servers.
Experts can also testify in court to explain how they verified the emails. It’s helpful if the other side tries to argue they’re fake.
Laken said:
Experts can also testify in court to explain how they verified the emails. It’s helpful if the other side tries to argue they’re fake.
Makes sense. So the expert kinda backs you up if things get messy?
Laken said:
Experts can also testify in court to explain how they verified the emails. It’s helpful if the other side tries to argue they’re fake.
Yep, they explain all the tech stuff to the court.
IDK if you always need an expert. Sometimes, if it’s clear the emails were used regularly in business, that’s enough.
Dakota said:
IDK if you always need an expert. Sometimes, if it’s clear the emails were used regularly in business, that’s enough.
True, but having an expert is safer, especially if the other side disputes the emails.
FYI, you only really need an expert if the other party questions the emails’ authenticity. Otherwise, you might be fine.
Nevin said:
FYI, you only really need an expert if the other party questions the emails’ authenticity. Otherwise, you might be fine.
Good to know. So, if nobody challenges the emails, you can just submit them without an expert?
Nevin said:
FYI, you only really need an expert if the other party questions the emails’ authenticity. Otherwise, you might be fine.
Exactly. But if someone raises a red flag, you’ll want an expert to back things up.