A Practitioner's Primer on Computer-Generated Evidence
Jerome J. Roberts · The University of Chicago Law Review · 1974
Few, if any, inventions have had as great an impact on society as the "computer."'The computer has permitted and, if correctly understood and properly used, will continue to permit geometric progress in ali fields of endeavor; the potential result is more efficient use and more equitable allocation of resources and great advances in science and industry.Used improperly, the computer could lead to a destruction of individual privacy and the ultimate police state. 2 Although we are only at the dawn of the computer age, the computer has already affected virtually every aspect of our lives. 8 As the use of the computer further develops, the impact of computerization on the legal profession will be widespread, reaching all facets of legal practice.The t Lecturer, Northwestern University School of Law; Member, Illinois Bar. 1 "Computer" is a broad term that has little meaning when used alone.There are two general types of computers: analog and digital.The analog computer operates by measuring, whereas the digital computer essentially operates by counting.Analog computers are specialized machines that are generally used to control other machines or for scientific purposes.The vast majority of computers currently in use are digital computers; they are used in business, government, and other fields for "electronic data processing."Computers that combine features from both types are called "hybrid" computers.The term "computer" as used here refers to digital computers and includes electronic devices ("hardware") and the programs ("software") used to direct those devices.2 See generally