Cook County State's Attorney's Office to open new digital forensics lab in 2027

In 2027, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office is set to expand its digital forensics capabilities with a brand-new lab. It aims to streamline the process of analyzing digital evidence and help move criminal cases through the court system more efficiently.New digital forensics labFrom cellphone records to surveillance video, digital evidence has become a critical component of criminal investigations.With the demand for digital analysis growing, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) is working to keep pace."The evidence landscape has changed in the last 20 years. It used to be physical evidence, and everybody expected the CSI effect of physical evidence. Well, that's shifted now to digital evidence," said CCSAO Investigations Bureau Chief James Roache.Until this summer, Roache says prosecutors relied on outside law enforcement agencies to analyze digital evidence, while handling other aspects of the evidence process themselves."A lot of what happens is, prosecutors will