Unless you are using a certified Document Management system; how can you
prove, in Court, that the paper copy of an email that you present to the
Judge, is IDENTICAL To the original email?

Anyone in the industry knows how easily documents can be manipulated between
time of receipt and time of printing to show what the Organization wants to
be shown.

How would You like to be facing a Judge with a Printout of an email against
a Defendant that had an electronic trail of the email to show in Court,
which proves your client did some thing wrong?

CYA

That is what Records Management is all about.

-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Roach, Bill J.
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 10:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Email Retention

>>From what I have been reading lately, courts have been less likely to
accept printouts of email and require the "native format".  What are the
comments about this?<<

Wouldn't surprise me if both the electronic and paper copies existed.
Electronic copy would probably be best evidence. However, if the only
copy is paper and it is in the files, and standard practice is to print
emails that are records and store them as paper copies, and you do it in
the regular course of business, I don't think the court would even
question it.

However, once there is notice...or reasonable anticipation...I would
recommend the delete switch be turned off.

Bill R

Bill Roach, CRM
Enterprise EDMS Coordinator
State of North Dakota
ITD/Records Management
701-328-3589

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