Digital Evidence Management Tips to Beat Court Backlog

Digital evidence management has become an increasingly complex process. From smartphone messages and emails, to interview recordings, surveillance videos, and cloud-stored files, each case can involve hundreds or thousands of digital files, spanning multiple formats and sources.

Properly managing the collection and storage of this digital evidence is critical to a case’s success. Legal teams must have a system in place to help streamline the eDiscovery process, comply with data protection laws, and preserve evidence for court. 

In this article, we’ll share the key aspects of digital evidence management, why it’s essential to handle the process properly, and tips for implementing a strong digital evidence management system.  

What Is Digital Evidence Management?

Digital evidence management (DEM) refers to the processes, tools, and systems used to collect, store, organize, and share digital evidence in legal proceedings. 

Digital evidence is any data or file stored on a computer, mobile phone, portable hard drive, or similar digital device. This can include audio and video recordings, files and documents, emails, or text messages.

For prosecution teams and lawyers, DEM is critical to ensure that evidence remains secure, accessible, and admissible in court while also being manageable in volume and complexity when it comes time to collect and review. 

What Is a Digital Evidence Management System?

A digital evidence management system (DEMS) is a platform designed to collect, store, organize, manage, and securely share digital evidence throughout the lifecycle of a case. 

DEMS are often the foundation of legal and law enforcement workflows, enabling prosecutors, investigators, and legal teams to efficiently handle a high volume of digital evidence. 

DEMS also provide built-in tools that ensure that every piece of evidence remains authentic, traceable, and admissible in court. Features include everything from chain of custody tracking and metadata tagging to security enhancements like file access control. 

By streamlining these processes, DEMS platforms reduce the burden on admin teams, improve collaboration between agencies, and uphold legal standards for data integrity and privacy—ultimately helping prosecution teams manage digital evidence with accuracy, speed, and confidence.

Understanding the Evidence Overload Problem

Evidence overload is a major contributor to legal bottlenecks. Digital evidence is growing at an astounding rate of 40% a year; meanwhile, only 37% of lawyers actually feel productive. 

There’s also the challenge of court backlogs. In Thomson Reuters Institute’s 2025 State of the Court Report, 20% of court professionals are experiencing increased court backlogs, and 45% are experiencing increased caseloads.

Without proper systems in place, evidence overload can quickly strain teams and their workflows. Fragmented storage means that important files are spread across drives, devices, or even email attachments, making it difficult to locate or verify key evidence. 

There’s also the challenge of keeping hundreds of pieces of evidence secure. Sensitive evidence stored on unsecured systems can expose personal data and compromise case integrity. And the more evidence there is to manage, the higher the chance is of it being compromised. 

Finally, wading through the sheer volume of evidence is going to add hours of work to your plate. This can lead to procedural delays or sanctions, and also reduce the amount of time you have to prep for a case. The more time you have to spend organizing data, the less you’ll have for strategy, analysis, and trial prep.

These challenges don’t just slow down the evidence management process—they directly impact case outcomes by creating opportunities for disputes, missed evidence, or procedural errors that the defense can then exploit in court.

The Pillars of Effective Digital Evidence Management

Setting up effective digital evidence management solutions starts with understanding the challenges within each step of the process, along with the tools and systems you need to address them.

Evidence Collection

The eDiscovery process begins with gathering digital evidence from various sources, including surveillance footage, mobile devices, computers, cloud-based accounts, or law enforcement databases. This time-consuming process often involves collecting hundreds of pieces of evidence. 

For prosecutors, the integrity of collection is crucial, especially when it comes to digital forensics preservation. Evidence must be gathered in a forensically sound manner that prevents alteration or data loss. This often involves using certified forensic tools that preserve original metadata, generating hash values to verify authenticity, and transcribing audio and video files to create accurate, searchable transcripts.

To streamline the process, Hanna Parkhots, data collection PM at Unidata, suggests using AI for legal discovery: 

“Utilizing eDiscovery platforms and AI-powered analytics tools can uncover crucial evidence faster and more accurately,” she says. “Tools like predictive coding and case management software help organize and analyze large volumes of documents systematically, saving hundreds of hours previously spent manually searching.” 

Evidence Storage 

Once collected, digital evidence must be stored securely to prevent tampering or unauthorized access.

This is where secure technology solutions come in. Modern DEMS provide unlimited storage options where files can be organized, encrypted, and indexed by case. These platforms allow prosecution teams to easily retrieve and review evidence while maintaining strict access controls.

A well-structured storage system also ensures that evidence is both protected and accessible throughout the case lifecycle, from investigation to trial.

Chain of Custody Management 

The chain of custody is the documented record that tracks every action taken on a piece of evidence: who accessed it, when, and for what purpose. 

Maintaining a continuous and transparent chain of custody is essential to admissibility and credibility. If the record shows any gaps or inconsistencies, defense teams can challenge the validity of the evidence.

Again, technology can help with this part of the process. Automated tracking within DEMS solutions now makes chain of custody management more reliable, reducing the risk of human error and creating time-stamped audit trails that prosecutors can present in court if needed.

Evidence analysis

After evidence is collected and secured, the focus shifts to analysis. Evidence analysis involves identifying what the data reveals and how it supports the case.

For prosecution teams, this may involve reviewing large volumes of digital media, extracting key insights through forensic software, or using AI tools built for criminal justice to flag relevant patterns, communications, or timestamps.

Organized analysis not only strengthens the case but can also save time during discovery and trial preparation. Relying on your DEMS for this step can also have an impact on your case. For example, with Rev, legal teams can upload all of a case’s digital evidence—from transcripts to audio and video recordings to documents—and analyze it in bulk. With our AI, you can spot inconsistencies, identify key statements, and search through all of your evidence in one place.  

Compliance 

Throughout every phase, compliance with legal and procedural standards is non-negotiable. Prosecutors and legal teams must ensure adherence to:

• Rules of digital evidence: Evidence must meet certain criteria that ensure its validity in a case. Digital evidence must be admissible, authentic, complete, reliable, and believable. 
• Privacy and data protection laws: Laws like GDPR and HIPAA apply to anyone handling personal or sensitive information—this includes legal teams managing digital evidence. 
• Disclosure obligations: This rule requires evidence to be shared appropriately with opposing counsel.

Failing to meet these requirements can lead to suppression of evidence or even a case dismissal. By embedding compliance features into DEM processes—such as encryption, user authentication, and automated audit trails—prosecution teams can uphold due process and mitigate legal risks.

DEMS Implementation in 7 Steps

When implemented carefully, a DEMS becomes more than a place to house your digital evidence—it becomes a trusted resource for case prep, strategy, and successful trials. 

By following these steps, prosecution teams can streamline their evidence workflows with a comprehensive DEMS. 

1. Assess Current Evidence Processes

Start by evaluating your team’s existing digital evidence management practices. Identify pain points such as fragmented storage, limited access control, or too much time spent collecting and reviewing evidence.

This assessment helps clarify what capabilities the new video evidence management system must deliver. For instance, maybe your team needs better tracking for the chain of custody, or more efficient integration with law enforcement databases. 

Or perhaps your team collects a lot of audio and video clips—whether that’s witness statements or body camera footage—and you notice that manually transcribing them tends to delay the discovery process. In this case, automatic transcription could help your team quickly transcribe and identify case-changing details needed for success.

Lawyers should involve IT staff, legal administrators, and law enforcement agencies in this stage to capture all workflow needs and compliance requirements.

2. Define Legal, Security, and Compliance Requirements

Before selecting a DEMS, map out the legal standards and data protection obligations that must be met to keep your law firm secure.

This includes ensuring the platform supports:

• Encryption and secure access protocols
• Comprehensive audit trails for chain of custody
• Compliance with local and federal privacy laws
• Compatibility with court admissibility standards

Clear documentation of these requirements helps avoid future disputes and ensures the system is defensible in court proceedings.

Keep in mind that your platform needs may depend on the types of cases you work on. For instance, medical cases require stringent healthcare data protection regulations through HIPAA. For prosecuting teams, it’s also important to keep public safety and recording laws in mind when collecting audio and video evidence. 

3. Choose a Platform That Fits Your Needs

Select a DEMS vendor that aligns with both technical needs and prosecutorial workflows. Key considerations include:

• Scalability to handle increasing data volumes
• Integration with existing case management or evidence collection systems
• Role-based access control
• Cloud versus on-premises deployment (based on jurisdictional rules)

It’s also important that the software you use is tailored to your industry. When you use a platform that understands your industry’s unique jargon, it can better analyze and transcribe your digital evidence—with decreased chance for errors. 

For example, Rev is built for legal professionals. All of Rev’s features are designed with busy law teams in mind, from the fast AI transcriptions to the ability to upload and analyze multiple files at once. You can even create your own glossary of terms that are specific to your vertical, whether that’s criminal defense, medical malpractice, or prosecution.

4. Develop Policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Once your team has chosen a platform, create clear policies that enforce how evidence is uploaded, tagged, shared, and retained. 

Some standard operating procedures (SOPs) to include are:

• Standardized naming conventions
• Access permissions
• Approval workflows
  

These steps ensure consistency and prevent misuse. There should also be defined procedures for responding to disclosure requests, data retention periods, and handling of sensitive or restricted materials.

5. Train Legal and Support Staff

Training is essential to successful adoption. Prosecutors, paralegals, and administrative personnel should learn how to complete the following tasks within the new system:

• Upload and catalog evidence correctly
• Verify chain of custody logs
• Use search, tagging, and annotation features effectively
• Share cases without compromising privacy 
• Use AI tools (if included in the platform)
• Present digital evidence 
• Follow established security and disclosure protocols

Ongoing training helps maintain best practices and keeps teams up to date with new features or legal changes.

6. Test and Validate the System

Before fully deploying your new DEMS, test it in real-world conditions. That way, if you run into issues during a pressing case, you’ll be prepared to tackle them quickly. 

Upload sample cases, simulate evidence transfers, test the auto transcription, and ensure that all security features—such as audit logs and permissions—function as expected.

Validation helps confirm that the system preserves the integrity of your data, meets evidentiary standards for admissibility, and is easy for your legal team to use.

7. Review and Refine Evidence Management System

Implementation doesn’t end after your DEMS is set up. Regularly audit system performance, security, and compliance to ensure your tool is reliable. You should also gather feedback from prosecutors and legal staff to find areas for improvement.

For instance, after talking to staff, you may realize that not everyone is using all of the platform’s features. Regular training sessions on the most important features can help ensure that your team gets the most out of the platform.

As technology, regulations, and your teams' needs evolve, make sure to update policies, training, and system configurations to maintain long-term efficiency.

Benefits of Implementing a Digital Evidence Management System

There are several reasons why digital evidence management software is beneficial for legal teams. Parkhots points out that a major benefit of computerized evidence and cloud central platforms is that they allow for real-time access and collaboration across teams. 

“For one of our legal tech implementations, firms employing these types of deployments eliminated case backlogs by 25-40% and achieved a reduction in time-to-resolution,” she says. “Adherence to rigid digital chain-of-custody procedures also helps preserve evidence integrity and reduce disputes and possible retrials.” 

Below are more benefits of implementing a DEMS: 

• Improved case preparation: Organized evidence makes it easier for lawyers to review, build arguments, and anticipate defense strategies.
• Reduced administrative time: With a consolidated evidence platform, legal teams don’t have to spend hours searching for a single document and can instead focus on incorporating key evidence into case strategy. 
• Enhanced security: DEMS act as secure digital sharing portals that keep evidence safe and meet compliance requirements. 
• Efficiency in review and collaboration: Centralized systems allow teams to quickly search, annotate, and cross-reference evidence.
• Reduced risk of errors: Automated tracking and audit trails minimize the risk of evidence being lost, mislabeled, or challenged in court.
• Enhanced transparency and accountability: A clear record of handling builds trust in the justice process and supports fair trial standards.

Expert Tips to Beat the Backlog

With the increase in digital evidence and caseloads, having reliable digital evidence management practices has become more critical than ever. 

When implementing a new DEMS, Parkhots suggests emphasizing the importance of document and digital evidence management with your team so everyone is aligned and can follow best practices. 

“For most firms, an initial step to consider is an emphasis on document management systems and security communication software,” she says. “Piloting digital workflows in a single practice area before firmwide release has the opportunity to minimize disruption and achieve learnings in support of broadened deployment.” 

Logistically, organization is key to getting the most out of your DEMS, suggests Kimberly DeCarrera, fractional general counsel, CFO, and law firm adviser at Springboard Legal. 

“A great thing about digital files is that they are easily searchable, even during trial,” she says. “This helps a lot when witnesses start to diverge from the expected testimony, bringing up deposition transcripts, prior witness statements, or physical documents for impeachment purposes. Properly preparing your case file with file names, keywords, and document descriptions is a big help when you are trying to find things in a large case file on the fly.”

Get Ahead of Backlog With Rev

By centralizing evidence in a searchable database, automating compliance processes, and ensuring transparency across the chain of custody, DEMS like Rev empower legal professionals to focus on building stronger, more defensible cases. 

Rev helps prosecution teams process, manage, and analyze multiple pieces of digital evidence from one secure platform. Built for legal teams, Rev uses AI insights to uncover critical details, identify contradicting statements, and even discover narrative gaps that may be missed during manual review. Prosecuting teams can gain back hours of critical time using Rev and instead spend that time building stronger, more strategic cases.