A day after Dewey & LeBoeuf’s former leaders were indicted on grand larceny and fraud charges, criminal defense experts weighed in on the challenges and strategies in defending such cases, especially when damning emails are presented as key evidence.

“I’ve defended cases with bad emails, and it’s tough because it’s physical,” said Charles Stillman, managing partner of Ballard Spahr’s Manhattan office. “You can cross-examine the witness. You can’t cross examine an email.”