The friend, Ford Shelley, who lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., wants prosecutors to determine if Smith's computer equipment offers any evidence of a crime, Shelley's Fort Lauderdale attorney, Walter "Skip" Campbell, said Friday.
Horry County authorities turned the items over to the Seminole Police Department on Feb. 15 after talking with tribal police and Broward County homicide prosecutors. Campbell and authorities have declined to identify what the potential evidence is.
Campbell said law enforcement has not examined the contents of the computer equipment because of several legal issues:
Does law enforcement need a warrant to access the computer information?
What can be legally done with property surrendered to the Seminole Tribe, a sovereign nation not subject to Florida laws?
If the computer equipment contains evidence of a crime, Broward prosecutors want to be sure they follow the appropriate laws to ensure they could use it if criminal charges are filed.
They have been a good source for updates...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/