Meet Josh

By Rogue Heart,

Joosh Michel smiling in professional attire

Meet Josh

Senior Forensic Examiner with 8+ years in the field, Photographer, and Dad

Growing up playing video games, old game consoles, and building his first computer, Josh has always had a fascination with technology and the digital forensics field. The industry is ever-evolving, fast-paced, and RDF is on the cutting edge of what’s possible in evidence and legal technology.

“Not only is technology a kind of living, breathing entity,” says Josh. “You could be part of a case that creates new laws.”

To keep up with big tech, Josh and other examiners at RDF frequently attend trainings and update certifications (such as Cellebrite) and document learnings from conferences and programs. Roloff Digital Forensics’s examiners juggle research to keep up and adapt to changes in technology, testing of the evidence, and production, where someone goes to present the evidence.

“Part of forensics is you test your theory and the theory should be repeatable and verifiable. That’s what makes the evidence solid. Otherwise it’s an opinion.”

A father, artist, and Indigenous rights advocate, Josh is more than an examiner. He’s a truth seeker.

And truth reveals itself through art, continuous learning, and curiosity.

“It kind of drives us to find information,” says Josh, “to prove or disprove what might be presented as the truth. Then to keep an open eye or keep an open mind about it and try to show it and tell [clients] the best way, that I think, is representative of the truth.”

An enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in northwest Montana, Josh reaches out to various Native government agencies in his downtime. His interest lies in Native American industries, legal systems, and people. He also offers his services to help locate missing individuals.

“It’s an epidemic that I think most people don’t know about. Indigenous communities have a very high rate of going missing, especially young women.

But that’s the first thing I think of…taking the skills and the talent that I have and making a difference. Especially with young people. I think that’s what’s closest to my heart.”

Offline and unplugged, Josh and his family go for bike rides, runs, or to the park. The family squeezes in screen time, too, when they play video games together.

Chest-down photo of three people using cellphones

Stay on your toes: Digital forensics is an ever-changing playbook

“One of the most exciting parts about this job is just being a part of that creative aspect of the law, the creative aspect of understanding what’s possible with technology and evidence.”

Josh changes lenses as an examiner and a photographer.

“I love art in general. And you wouldn’t think that digital forensics would be an art, but the art form comes in the person that presents it to the person that collects it. The person that analyzes it, and then ultimately tells you about it. Which is kind of like an artist. An artist collects data. Whether it’s a picture, a moving image, they collect the information to show you or tell you something.”

Interested in working with teammates like Josh? Apply today to become the next Roloff Digital Forensics Examiner.