Litigation Support

You would think people would get it by now. Don't e-mail anything you don't want to see in the New York Times, on a billboard on I-95, or in St. Peter's hands.

The minute I heard that S.C. Governor Sanford was hiking for days on the Appalachian Trail and had left no contact info, I turned to John and said, "I wonder who she is. We'll probably find out soon." John was more generous and thought perhaps he really was hiking to get away from it all. I should have bet him. :-)

The jig is up for Governor Sanford, whose Presidential aspirations have just vanished in a puff of smoke. As is customary for politicians, he has embroiled his family in a public nightmare where nothing will be allowed to play out privately.

Compounding the mess, The State newspaper has published e-mails between Sanford and his mistress. While their authenticity has not been proven, Sanford's office has not denied that they are genuine.

I have no idea how the paper got the e-mails, but I can tell you from experience that e-mails are almost always the smoking gun in electronic evidence cases - and very frequently in family law. And they can end careers in one heck of a hurry.

If you wouldn't want your mom to read it, don't send it. Period.

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