Index/Topics/Chain of custody

Chain of custody

The process of documenting the handling and storage of evidence to prevent tampering.

Fact-Checks

9 results
Jan 13, 2026
Most Viewed

Has the court issued any rulings or orders in Michelle Obama's case against the Kennedys?

The supplied reporting is a patchwork of sensational, inconsistent items that do not establish a verified court ruling or formal judicial order in a “Michelle Obama v. John Kennedy” case; several piec...

Jan 20, 2026

What protocols do law enforcement and forensic audio analysts use to authenticate alleged testimonial recordings?

Law enforcement and forensic audio analysts authenticate alleged testimonial recordings through a layered process that combines legal foundation (witness testimony and chain-of-custody rules), laborat...

Jan 20, 2026

What standards do courts use to admit digitally recorded evidence under the silent witness theory?

The silent witness theory lets a photograph, videotape, or other recording “speak for itself” if the proponent establishes the trustworthiness of the process or system that produced it rather than off...

Jan 19, 2026

What steps would law enforcement or journalists take to independently verify audio testimony like Sasha Riley’s?

To independently verify an audio testimony like Sasha Riley’s, investigators follow a layered process: secure and document the recording’s provenance, subject the file to forensic analysis and authent...

Jan 17, 2026

What steps do journalists and prosecutors use to verify anonymous or leaked audio evidence in major abuse investigations?

Journalists and prosecutors follow overlapping, methodical steps to verify anonymous or leaked audio: secure and document the file’s provenance, run technical forensic tests for tampering and metadata...

Jan 17, 2026

What are the documented limits and common pitfalls when verifying audio testimony circulated on social media?

Verification of audio testimony circulated on social media is constrained by authentication requirements, platform vulnerabilities, and evidentiary rules that demand “confirming circumstances” beyond ...

Jan 16, 2026

What best-practice protocols govern enhancement and documentation of sensitive video evidence in court?

Best-practice protocols for enhancing and documenting sensitive video evidence center on preserving an unaltered original, establishing an auditable chain of custody, using validated forensic methods ...

Jan 16, 2026

Which forensic analyses have been done to identify forged documents and videos in the Epstein file releases, and what did they find?

Independent technical reviewers and mainstream fact‑checkers have identified at least one deliberately fake surveillance clip and highlighted multiple anomalies in the Justice Department’s Epstein rel...

Jan 11, 2026

What technical forensic evidence do prosecutors rely on to prove electronic possession of online images?

Prosecutors seeking to prove electronic possession of online images rely on a chain of technical artifacts—forensic disk and phone images, cryptographic file hashes, file-system and application metada...