Letter from The City

I’m just a plainspoken Colorado criminal defense lawyer, but the way I see it…

Criminal defense lawyer Jerome Greco, who works for The Legal Aid Society in New York City, recently wrote to tell me about a newsletter the Digital Forensics Unit he supervises publishes each month. Because in just a few days they’ll post the next edition of Decrypting a Defense, it seems a good time to tell you about it.

The title itself needs a little decrypting, as does at least one of the articles in this month’s edition, about ShotSpotter evidence.

ShotSpotter. I always thought a ShotSpotter was someone who could find the next drink on the bar. The actual evidence shows I may have been wrong about that.

The newsletter explores the intersection of technology and criminal justice; the unit that publishes it, its website says, was created in 2013 in recognition of the growing use of digital evidence in the criminal justice system.

Things like a controversial facial recognition service the NYPD uses. Aerial surveillance that violates the Fourth Amendment. And serving subpoenas on Facebook.

Oh, and ShotSpotter? Nothing to do with grabbing my next drink. But you can see for yourself, here.