How to Implement Chain of Custody Procedures

When a legal matter goes to trial, it can take months—even years. Without an effective system for managing evidence in place, it can become nearly impossible to maintain it. Implementing thorough and proven chain of custody procedures makes it easy to locate necessary information and authenticate evidence—but not everyone does it. Here is why your agency should.

What Is Chain of Custody and Why Does It Matter?

The chain of custody for a piece of evidence is the chronological account of its seizure, detention, transfer, analysis, and disposition. It is used to tie a piece of evidence to its related crime, and must remove any doubt that the evidence could have been mishandled or misattributed. In order to be considered unbroken, the chain of custody must demonstrate that the evidence’s whereabouts were under constant control—so it must be documented down to the exact date and time.

In order to be admissible in court, evidence must be authenticated, or proven to be genuine. In the event that chain of custody is broken, the evidence cannot be authenticated, and therefore becomes inadmissible. Vital evidence then becomes, legally, worthless. Most breaks occur when evidence is mislabeled, falls into the wrong hands, or takes an unreasonable amount of time to transfer.

What Is Included on Chain of Custody Documents?

With chain of custody documents, important to note not only what is obtained but by who and when. Your report should reflect methods of collection, transportation, storage, and handling. A typical chain of custody document will include:

• The date, time, and location of the collection
• The names of the investigators involved in the collection
• The name of the owner of the evidence collected
• The reason for the collection
• The related matter name or case number
• The type of evidence collected
• The make, model, and serial number if applicable
• A physical description of the evidence collected
• Any comments regarding any issues encountered during collection
• The signatures of persons giving and taking possession of the evidence collected

Documenting as many accurate details as possible about the evidence and its collection leaves less room for scrutiny if any potential questions arise during the trial. The ability of the prosecution, and defense, attorneys to present evidence in a case comes down to whether or not the evidence can be authenticated. A single misstep can invalidate evidence, prospectively changing the outcome of an entire case.

Evidence Management Solutions that Make a Difference

The crux of any investigation—proper evidence management—translates to the ability to serve justice. PMI Evidence Tracker™ is an affordable solution and chain of custody software that won’t disappoint. It’s designed by Cops for Cops—meaning evidence and asset tracking will never be a problem again. Contact us now to learn more about our system!