Technology Warrants: From Drafting to Data
Course Overview:
This one-day training provides investigators with the essential, practical knowledge and skills needed to effectively secure critical digital evidence from the world's most commonly utilized providers, including Google, Apple, and major social media platforms. Participants will move beyond theory to master drafting legally sufficient and highly provider-specific search warrants, while also learning how to efficiently serve them through the correct legal request portals. By focusing on real-world applications and common pitfalls, this course ensures you can expedite investigations, avoid costly delays or outright denials of evidence, and confidently interpret, process, and successfully integrate complex data returns into your case files.
Course Objectives:
Identify key technology providers and the types of data available.
Draft legally sufficient and provider-specific warrants.
Serve and submit warrants through appropriate legal request portals.
Interpret and process data returns from providers.
Avoid common mistakes that lead to delays or denials.
Course Content:
Module 1: Introduction & Legal Foundation
Overview of digital evidence in modern investigations
Fourth Amendment considerations & case law updates
Distinguishing warrants, subpoenas, and court orders
Scope, particularity, and overbreadth pitfalls
Module 2: Technology Providers & Available Data
Overview of common providers (Facebook/Meta, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dropbox, etc.)
What data is available: account info, login history, stored content, cloud backups, deleted data
Understanding preservation requests vs. warrants
Provider law enforcement guides & portals
Module 3: Drafting Effective Warrants
Language and phrasing that passes legal and provider review
Including correct identifiers (usernames, email, device ID, IP, payment info)
Timeframe limitations & tailoring requests
Sample warrant templates for common providers
Common errors that lead to delays
Module 4: Serving Warrants & Processing Returns
Submitting requests through provider portals
Communication with provider legal compliance teams
Expected turnaround times & emergency requests
Receiving, securing, and authenticating returns
Module 5: Case Studies & Practical Application
Real-world examples of cases solved with tech warrants
Integrating digital returns with traditional investigative techniques
Chain of custody & courtroom considerations
Best practices for organizing and analyzing provider data
Target Audience:
This course is ideal for law enforcement investigators, detectives, and criminal investigators who wish to enhance their proficiency in using legal process from technology related companies to solve criminal cases. No prior technical knowledge is required.
COST:
$250 per student
$225 Groups of 3 or more