Validity of the evidence

[Guest]

My neighbor filed a civil lawsuit on me accusing me of posting bad comments from my home computer against him. The court asked me to submit my home computer to a local forensic company and instructed (in writing) that company to submit a copy of that forensic image to a well known (third party) forensic expert in New York within one month. Although I submitted my computer to local company, they did not send a copy to New York. At one point, the local company emailed me that I never even submitted my computer to them therefore it was my mistake: a strange U-turn. Then I produced a copy of the receipt that they gave to me when I submitted the computer to them. Then they accepted their mistake and agreed that I did submit it. It is already five months past the court given deadline. The local forensic company is saying that they are busy that is why they could not send the send the forensic image to the New York expert. What is the validity of the forensic image if the case ever goes to trial and I raise questions about the validity of the forensic image?

 

[army judge]

My neighbor filed a civil lawsuit on me accusing me of posting bad comments from my home computer against him. The court asked me to submit my home computer to a local forensic company and instructed (in writing) that company to submit a copy of that forensic image to a well known (third party) forensic expert in New York within one month. Although I submitted my computer to local company, they did not send a copy to New York. At one point, the local company emailed me that I never even submitted my computer to them therefore it was my mistake: a strange U-turn. Then I produced a copy of the receipt that they gave to me when I submitted the computer to them. Then they accepted their mistake and agreed that I did submit it. It is already five months past the court given deadline. The local forensic company is saying that they are busy that is why they could not send the send the forensic image to the New York expert. What is the validity of the forensic image if the case ever goes to trial and I raise questions about the validity of the forensic image?

Have you retained an attorney?
If you haven't, please consider retaining one, ASAP.
In all likelihood, you could have fought the requirement to submit your computer and avoided this entire fishing expedition.
Heck, you cold have sent any computer.
This is a civil lawsuit.
I don't know everything about how you ended up where you are, but civil lawsuits are limited as to what one has to produce and do.
Plus, you can thwart the process and extend the proceedings to insure your rights are preserved.
Its never wise to just roll over, sit, and heel without a fight.

Finally, from what you've revealed, I'd be very suspect at whatever results are produced, and it is taking an inordinate amount of time.
I'm not even sure that what you were directed to so was anything more than voluntary.
If it is voluntary, I recommend to my clients to simply say, NO.