Interview evidence can be the cornerstone of any criminal trial. As such, these records need to follow strict procedures for court submission—especially for audio video interview evidence. You can’t afford to have your evidence called into question or let essential details get overlooked. That’s why it’s so important to have a streamlined process for securing and sharing interview evidence redactions.
By honing in on what matters most for your interview, you can help ensure that justice will be served. It’s not always realistic to have the court review an interview from start to finish, and that’s where interview redactions can help.
Court-Admissible Interview Redactions
Agencies and law enforcement professionals understand the complexities surrounding interview redactions. Adhering to all of the following points (and often more) is crucial for providing the court with the appropriate evidence:
1. Work with an interview recording solution that will save both redacted and original files.
The prosecutor should always have access to unredacted documents and interview evidence for criminal cases. On the other hand, it is sometimes necessary to redact sections of discovery materials before they are released to the defense counsel. As detailed in this policy providing guidance to the criminal case attorneys for the Southern District of Iowa, the prosecutor should still be able to review those original materials throughout the justice process.
2. Maintain the integrity of the original interview whenever redactions are required.
Utilizing interview redactions can be incredibly useful for timely court proceedings. Reviewing the evidence in an edited interview recording is often much faster than sifting through the entire conversation. However, the evidence will only be viable if the redactions are accurate. Altering the natural progression of the interview or removing significant types of phrasing altogether can destroy the true meaning of the discussion. This is why agencies must be careful with each of their edits and redactions.
3. Have a streamlined system to share interview evidence redactions and notes.
Not all interview recording equipment is user-friendly, so when teams decide to upgrade their setup or redesign their interview rooms, it helps to consider all of the features available. An interview recording system that can provide both high-quality audio and video, as well as easy-to-use functions will make a big difference in your team’s efficiency. It often helps to have an equipment demo to make sure you’ll get a simple process for creating redactions and being able to send them to the necessary parties.
Ready for Better Interview Evidence?
You only have one chance to secure the interview evidence that can make or break your case. The right recording solution matters. That’s why our team at iRecord carefully developed a recording model specifically with law enforcement agencies and advocacy groups in mind. Our iRecord Universe system lets you start to record audio and video with a quick flip of a wall switch in your interview room. From there, agencies can use our software solution to easily save and share redactions, add notes to key timestamps of the conversation, and more.
We’ve made it our mission to serve and protect those individuals who serve and protect the safety of our communities, and we’re proud to partner with agencies across the United States and Canada. If you’re ready to learn more about how an iRecord solution can benefit your team’s efforts, please don’t hesitate to send us a message.