ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses evidentiary standards, chain of custody, recantation, and child witnesses. Evidentiary standards protect defendants and permit the government to prove cases beyond a reasonable doubt. Chain of custody is an evidentiary requirement that has become more technical in recent years because of hashing systems, temporary caches, and file corruption. Child pornography production offenses may be tried in court. Trials may involve child witnesses. Child witnesses are vulnerable and sensitive and may be traumatized. They may be affected by the process of being confronted by defendants during their testimony, and yet they may be unreliable because they are highly suggestible and have weaker memories. Suggestibility and memory were discussed in Chapter 9.
