How Instrumental Is the Chain of Custody in Legal Proceedings?

In any legal proceeding, evidence plays a vital role in uncovering the truth in any situation, whether that be theft or even murder. Evidence can range from many things, including DNA samples taken from blood stains to photographs of the aftermath. The more evidence is presented in a case, the likelier it is to prove or disprove an argument. Unfortunately, because of how vital evidence is, it increases the likelihood that people will try to tamper with it.

If you are an entity that works with evidence, a chain of custody can be extremely helpful to ensure evidence stays authentic and free from any mishandling. That said, let us delve into the chain of custody, what it is, and how you can ensure you implement it in the most secure way possible.

What Is the Chain of Custody, and Why Is It Important?

According to its legal definition, a chain of custody is a piece of paper that details how evidence must be handled from collection to analysis. Know that this will not mean that the evidence is risk-free from being tampered with at all. It is up to those who oversee the chain of custody to ensure every step is followed with no steps skipped or altered.

Ensuring that these steps are followed can ensure that the evidence is admissible in court proceedings. Failure to abide by the chain of custody can cause the evidence to become worthless to the case.

What Can You Expect in a Chain of Custody?

The chain of custody can differ depending on the type of evidence being handled and the nature of legal proceeding. In general, the chain of custody can include the name of the person who collected the evidence, the date and time when the evidence was handled, and the location where the evidence was found. The chain of custody can also include additional information, such as the reason the evidence was collected as well as how it was taken.

That said, the chain of custody will also Include the name of individuals who have handled the pieces of evidence.

How Do I Ensure My Chain of Custody Remains Secure?

There are a few things you can do to ensure that your chain of custody is reliable and secure. For instance, you can utilize special bags that are tamper-proof, as well as labels containing important information on the bags itself. Other things you can do is snap photos of the piece of evidence where it was found initially.

Modern technology has also introduced systems to help legal entities like law enforcement to manage evidence digitally. While these systems do not ensure one-hundred-percent reliability that the evidence is free from tampering, what it does do is ensure no details are lost, and that each piece of evidence is more easily kept tracked.

Keep Your Evidence Tamper-Free

If you are a law enforcement agency and want to ensure your chain of custody is reliable enough to keep your evidence valuable in the court, you need to implement a chain of custody. However, that is not enough, as you still have to be active in ensuring that the chain of custody remains unbroken and that each step is followed through until the very end.

If you have not already, we recommend that you start using special software as part of your chain of custody. Not only will it ensure that the details on each piece of evidence are not lost, but it will also make it much easier to keep track of where the evidence is during each step of the process.

Chain of Custody Software You Can Depend On

In need of chain of custody software to manage your evidence? PMI Evidence Tracker™ offers you cutting-edge software that provides a variety of features, from quick data entry to evidence barcoding. Check out how our software can help you.