Digital Evidence Models

Digital Custody Chain

Digital custody can be modeled as collection, hash, transfer, lab, exhibit, and review steps. Honesty note: simplified US federal classroom model; Fourth Amendment doctrine and state rules vary; the pinned first step states the as-of date; not legal advice.

Structured Visual

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-06-24; not legal advice; Code encodes a process and label model, not the law itself.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Simplified digital custody chainSimplified digital custody chainscope: US federal classroom model | Digital custody chain model | as of 2026-06-24Simplified US federal classroom model; Fourth Amendment doctrine and state rules vary; notlegal advice; code encodes a process and label model, not the law itself.Collection eventHash recordTransfer eventLab recordExhibit labelHuman reviewedge=collection->hash label=recordedge=hash->transfer label=transferedge=transfer->lab label=recordedge=lab->exhibit label=labeledge=exhibit->review label=handoffSCC: scc5:collection; scc4:hash; scc3:transfer; scc2:lab; scc1:exhibit; scc0:review
highlighted = computed this step

Digital evidence model honesty note

Honesty note: simplified US federal classroom model; Fourth Amendment doctrine and state rules vary; as of June 24, 2026; not legal advice; code encodes a process and label model, not the law itself.

digital evidence model as of June24,2026\text{digital evidence model as of }June 24, 2026

Use a custody event chain

The stated process models digital custody as collection event, hash record, transfer event, lab record, exhibit label, and human review.

collection to hash to review\text{collection to hash to review}

Example custody packet

The toy packet records collection, hash, transfer, lab, and exhibit labels before review.

chain labels before review\text{chain labels before review}

The flow recomputes the chain

The procedure flow recomputes 6 nodes and 5 edges from the authored custody chain.

nodes=6,edges=5\text{nodes}=6,\quad \text{edges}=5

Diagram note

The diagram shows custody event order. It does not decide evidence treatment or chain completeness.

event order only\text{event order only}

Jurisdiction: US; as of 2026-06-24; not legal advice; Code encodes a process and label model, not the law itself.

RENDER STRUCTURE · REFUSE INTERPRETATION · CITE · ABSTAIN · HAND-OFF: render structure, refuse interpretation, cite provenance, abstain when unsupported, and hand off to human review.

Simplified digital custody chainSimplified digital custody chainscope: US federal classroom model | Digital custody chain model | as of 2026-06-24Simplified US federal classroom model; Fourth Amendment doctrine and state rules vary; notlegal advice; code encodes a process and label model, not the law itself.Collection eventHash recordTransfer eventLab recordExhibit labelHuman reviewedge=collection->hash label=recordedge=hash->transfer label=transferedge=transfer->lab label=recordedge=lab->exhibit label=labeledge=exhibit->review label=handoffSCC: scc5:collection; scc4:hash; scc3:transfer; scc2:lab; scc1:exhibit; scc0:review

Summary

Digital-custody data should expose each transfer point and the review handoff without producing an evidence result.

chain then review\text{chain then review}