Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

E-mail: The Prosecutor's New Best Friend

By Robert J. Giuffra, Jr.
September 24, 2003

Over the past 10 years, e-mail has replaced the telephone as the favored method of communication within Fortune 500 companies. The typical employee might send or receive dozens of e-mails per day, with the amount of e-mail traffic growing exponentially the higher up the employee sits on the corporate ladder. In a large company, the CEO might receive hundreds of e-mails daily, leaving to an assistant the task of 'screening' them. This explosive growth in e-mail has not been lost on prosecutors. In case after case, prosecutors are securing convictions with carelessly written e-mail. Because e-mail is a form of almost instantaneous communication, it has replaced the wiretap as the best source of incriminating evidence in white-collar prosecutions.

The E-mail Revolution

The e-mail revolution in corporate communication has accelerated with the increased use of home computers and portable communications devices such as the 'Blackberry.' Now, the business day never ends. Employees can send and receive e-mail literally around-the-clock ' from home, from cars, and while on vacation. People write things in e-mail that they would never write in a memo or letter ' and with far less concern about content and accuracy. E-mail is viewed as only slightly more formal than speaking on the telephone, and encourages a stream-of-consciousness style that easily can be misconstrued when viewed out of context.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

Legal Possession: What Does It Mean? Image

Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.