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In today’s criminal justice system, a non-stop flood of digital evidence plays a pivotal role in uncovering the truth and seeking justice for victims. To meet this demand, Nashville’s 20th Judicial District developed its own Digital Evidence Team, a specialized team of 11 who work closely with prosecutors, reviewing photos, video and audio that often come from security cameras, cell phones, police body cameras, social media apps and other data.
They took us behind-the-scenes to show why their office is now among those leading the nation in how they present digital evidence in court. This work is done largely out of public view. But the impact is significant.
“I like to think of it as making visual aids for the jury to make it easier for them to understand,” said Bailey York, a Digital Specialist with the 20th Judicial District. “I will take the raw components of these videos, and depending on what my attorney wants – whether its tracking, highlighting, or pointing something out – it’s literally enhancing what’s already there and making it easier for the attorneys to show these things.”
The team carefully tracks this evidence that may ultimately help reveal what happened in a case. It’s a heavy workload. Every week this team reviews at least 350 hours of digital evidence.
“People will buy things,” said Digital Specialist, Alex Pendon. “They will talk to people. They will text people. They’ll take a selfie of themselves right after. There is no way that will not play a role within a case.”
“Sometimes, what jurors have heard in court they will forget during their deliberations,” said District Attorney General, Glenn Funk, of the 20th Judicial District. “What they see they remember, and what they experience they understand. The digital forensic experts that we have working with the District Attorneys are able to put together proof in a way to where the jury not only can remember what the evidence was, but they understand why they would need to convict.”
“In our larger cases, our criminal cases, we can review media for up to a few months,” added Megan Holder, the Digital Evidence Team Lead. “The more evidence that we have to go off of to build a case and to prove innocence or guilt, the better.”
News outlets interested in using this footage and interviews for news and public service purposes can access those through a downloadable file below. This file also includes video with no music and no lower third graphics. For additional interview requests, contact Brandi Hitt (bmhitt@tndagc.org).
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About the TNDAGC
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to provide for a more prompt and efficient administration of justice in the courts of the state. It is composed of the elected District Attorneys General from the state’s 32 judicial districts.