To: Board of Supervisors
From: Diana Becton, District Attorney
Report Title: Purchase Order and End User License Agreement with Magnet Forensics
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent or designee to execute, on behalf of the District Attorney a Purchase Order and related End User License Agreement with Magnet Forensics, LLC in an amount not to exceed $13,935 to add a data extraction forensic tool software license for the period March 1, 2025 through February 28, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this action will result in an expenditure up to $13,935 which will be funded 100% by the California Department of Insurance through its Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fraud Prosecution Grant awarded to the District Attorney’s Office.
BACKGROUND:
The District Attorney’s Office uses Magnet Forensics system as a forensic tool and program to extract telephone and computer data from suspects’ cell phones to be used in criminal investigations and prosecutions. The Magnet Forensics system allows the DA’s Forensic Technology team to process and extract data from mobile, cloud and computer sources and process into one case file. Investigators can apply analytical tools to the case file to identify relevant evidence. The system filters important data that the Investigation teams need to review, reducing the overall time to locate, recover and collect evidence. Approval of this Purchase Order and related End User License Agreement will allow the District Attorney’s Office to add an additional license to a departmental employee and continue the usage of this forensic tool and program for the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fraud investigation and prosecution.
The updated County purchasing policy requires that departments execute written agreements when software licensing services are involved. This End User License Agreement with Magnet Forensics includes mutual indemnification to hold harmless both parties for any claims arising out of the performance under this agreement.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without executing the purchase order and related End User License Agreement with Magnet Forensics, the District Attorney’s Office cannot add a license to utilize the forensic tool needed for criminal prosecution purposes.