Technical Question - cell phones

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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:54 pm

How do you get a print out of your text messages? Do you call the phone company? Or is there a way you do it yourself?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:22 pm

It depends what model cell phone you have and if you have BlueTooth or a USB cable etc.

Read the <strike>stickies</strike>manual that came with the phone. It's all in there.

Or did you buy the phone on the corner of 8th and 42nd from a guy who talked too fast?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:48 pm

Oh so different models - different ways - - UGH.

I'm asking for a friend - I don't know if she has her manual, but her ex-husband admitted (dumbass) in a text message to doing something illegal and she wants to be able to use it in court.

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:49 pm

If she doesn't have the manual, she should look on the manufacturer's website - they'll probably have a copy online there.

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:00 pm

How on earth can a printout of a text message be a piece of evidence in court? I mean she could just type it into Word and print it out, couldn't she?

Other than that what Kleindoofy said: if your phone comes with a PC connection of some sort just download the messages and print them out; if it doesn't you'd need some text message to fax service or something...again not particularly conclusive. Wink

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:20 pm

Maybe she should call her cell phone company, wouldn't they be able to talk her through it step by step?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:49 pm

Get a video cam and use it to record opening the meesage and details (time date sent etc) on the phone. Then get the phone company to provide the record showing who and when the txt was sent from/to.

Far more likely to stand up in court than a print out in my laymans opinion.

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:02 pm

Quite frankly, taking the ruddy phone into court would be more reliable than a print out. Maybe she should talk to a lawyer first about what kind of evidence can be admitted before putting herself through the trouble of contacting the phone company (probably needs to be done through a court order anyways).

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Have your friend file a Freedom of Information request and obtain the records from the NSA.

....kidding. Wink

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:29 pm

Text messages (SMS) are stored on the SIM card, you I guess you better hold on to the SIM as the real evidence; a printout is not really valid evidence imo.

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:54 am

I agree with persephone. It happens all the time. People bring their phones in for evidence in court.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Is this a civil or criminal case? Different rules of evidence apply for each. PM me (If this is a US case) and I may be able to give some advise.

Editx2: The biggest problem I already see here is that you have to prove that the ex-husband actually typed it. Sure it was HIS phone, but the obvious defense is that someone else typed it while "he" was at lunch to set "him" up. The burden of proof will differ if it is a civil or criminal action. If it is criminal, well I would guess a fair to horse shit lawyer would be able to have it excluded.

I would need a bit more detail, but my gut tells me that it would be a tough sell. (In a criminal case) If it were a civil case, then there may be some hope for using it as a bit of the puzzle to prove preponderance of the evidence.

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 262

dunno about the US, but in most countries in Europe it is very much like @Pastor Frank said, and he pretty much covers it all.

On an after thought you should never alter or tamper in anyway with anything that could be used as evidence.

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Petition the cell phone company. You may have to get the lawyer to do it though. They will give you the where and when it was made/sent. They should even be able to tell what tower it was sent thru so that you can tell the general area the phone was at when sent. This will all be able to be used as evidence in court also.

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