[COUNTrecount]

The FBI downloads the contents of the hard drive, the physical lap top is not needed.

[uncitizen]

You mean they will remotely delete what’s on the laptop? Right. Wasn’t thinking.

[Gadsden1st]

How many copies of these emails are now floating around?

Sure would be a shame is a thumb drive or two went missing.

Double dog shame if they were sent to Wikileaks.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

You are partially correct, they will make Mirror Image copies of all the data on all the devices including when things were sent and deleted and copied and moved etc etc on all those devices. Then they keep those devices and evidence while they do their investigation working off of their Mirror Image copies. If there is ever a trial they will need the originals so the defense team can also make Mirror Image copies and work for the defense off of those same copies.

[Alberta's Child]

The issue isn't just who has possession of the documents or devices; it's a matter of the legal protocol required in order to use them in a criminal case against a defendant.

If the police found incriminating evidence against Weiner on a computer that he turned over to them (or they got with a subpoena), then it's pretty cut-and-dry. But if they took possession of the computer for the Weiner investigation through a subpoena, and then found incriminating evidence against someone else, then they probably need a second subpoena just to make sure all proper legal channels were followed.

If Weiner turned over the computer willingly, I suspect all bets are off and no subpoena would be needed in order to use evidence against a separate person in a separate criminal investigation.