Posted by Stephanie O'Neill on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 @ 08:13 PM
Once again, email records are at the center of a highly publicized case. This time, they foil a plot for what appears to be fame. Mission accomplished, but I am pretty sure felony charges aren't what the Heenes had in mind.
I realize I may sound like a broken record, but I still find it surprising that people don't know better in this day and age. Even if you put all the ethical and parental lapses of this case aside, who thinks they can put an elaborate plan like this in writing - in email, no less - and not have it come back to bite them? That's a rhetorical question, of course.
But perhaps even more surprising, reports indicate that a "media outlet" may have been involved in the hoax (to what extent, if any, remains to be seen). If this turns out to be true, the plot will definitely thicken - especially if more emails are involved. Let's be clear here: They absolutely should know better. Whether they are a highly respected news organization or in the company of tabloid paparazzi, any organization that has a chance of being involved in litigation within the U.S. Federal Court system must be prepared for legal discovery, according to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). For most companies, this means an email archiving solution. But one way or another, if this yet unnamed organization was involved, emails will most certainly come into play - and if they aren't able to produce the data in a timely manner and prove that it wasn't tampered with, they will have another issue on their hands.
Only time will tell. But whatever the outcome of this strange case may be in the coming weeks and months, I think it's safe to say that the Heenes' reality show dreams floated away with that balloon ... at least I hope so!