How to Gather Technology Abuse Evidence for Court

Authors: Kaofeng Lee, Deputy Director, and Ian Harris, Technology Safety Legal Manager, the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).

If someone is using technology like text messages, email, or social media (like Facebook) to harass you, this guide will help you “capture” the evidence of the harassment, so you can bring it to court. You might think you can just show the judge your phone in court—but you probably won’t be allowed to just show your device. Even if you are allowed, you could risk the court taking your device as evidence. To be sure the judge considers your evidence and that you don’t lose your phone (or other device), you need to gather evidence in a form allowed by the court. This guide will provide suggestions on how to capture evidence that can be admitted in court from your devices, such as your cell phone, computer,or tablet (such as an iPad).