Kevin Horan

Cell phone records have become a routine form of digital evidence in modern investigations and litigation. Historical call detail records (CDRs) and cell-site location information (CSLI) are frequently used to reconstruct timelines, identify communications between individuals, and determine the general geographic area where a mobile device was operating during a communication event.

Under the Rules of Evidence, an expert with “specialized knowledge” may testify. It is a low bar, and it was meant to be, because the rules are designed to favor access and fairness over credential gatekeeping, allowing courts to hear potentially helpful expertise without turning judges into arbiters of professional qualifications. Courts are not licensing bodies. Judges are not tasked with ranking experts or deciding who is the “best” in a field.

Cellular analysis plays a crucial role in modern litigation. Attorneys often rely on Call Detail Records (CDRs) and tower information to reconstruct where a device was likely located. But these records only tell part of the story.