As a general note for email searches:
(1) The archiver contains objects as far back as 2002.
(2) System and process changes were instituted in early 2017 whereby there are 5-nine assurances that all incoming/outgoing email was properly archived.
(3) There are NO assurances that incoming/outgoing email was properly archived prior to early 2017.
For purposes of this statement, I will use the date April 1, 2017.
(4) Except for some specific circumstances there is no statute that requires Bedford County to archive and/or produce documentation prior to April 1, 2017.
As a general rule the onus to produce old documentation (I will define this as older than 2 years) completely resides with the requestor, not the County. I will state that the only exception to this rule is when such a request comes from Bedford County Legal.