Evidence Helper

Evidence is one library for everything you might need to show: text-message screenshots, photos, school and medical records, emails, PDFs, voicemails, and video. Each file is stored exactly as you uploaded it, with a fingerprint that shows it hasn't changed since. On top of the original, you add the context — what it is, when it happened, which issue it relates to — and that context feeds your Timeline, your exhibit PDF, your Evidence Index, and your hearing binders.

Where to find it#

Evidence lives inside each court case. Open Cases in the sidebar, pick a court case, then choose the Evidence tab. You'll see three starting points:

• Import messages — bring in text-message, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram exports. See Message Extractor.
• Upload images, folders, documents — add original files directly to this case.
• View evidence — browse folders, search, filter, and switch between grid and list views.

Below those cards, Use existing evidence in this case lets you attach something you already uploaded — for example, a photo you added under your custody case that also matters in a protective-order case. One file can belong to several court cases; there's still only one original.

Uploading evidence#

1. Add your filesClick Add file(s) or Upload a folder, or drag files or whole folders onto the drop zone. You can also paste a file or screenshot with Ctrl/Cmd + V.
2. Choose where it goesInside a court case, uploads go to that case automatically. In the workspace-wide library, pick a Case destination first, or continue with the evidence unassigned and attach it to a case later.
3. Confirm recording consent (audio and video only)If any file is a recording, you'll be asked to confirm you were allowed to make it. Recording laws differ from state to state — in some, everyone on a recording has to agree to it. Only upload recordings you were permitted to make.
4. Wait for processingA progress bar shows the upload, then "Processing files…". Each file becomes its own evidence item. When you upload a folder, its structure is recreated as folders inside Evidence.

What you can upload#

Hidden and system files (like .DS_Store, __MACOSX, thumbs.db) are skipped automatically, and you'll see a note saying so.

Size limits#

• 25 MB per file. Longer recordings may need to be split or compressed.
• Up to 30 files and 32 MB per upload. The whole selection goes up together, so if a big folder is rejected, upload it in smaller batches.
• The Free plan holds up to 10 evidence items per case. The trial and every paid plan are unlimited. Storage limits by plan are on Plans, trial & AI operations.

Originals and fingerprints#

Every file is kept exactly as you uploaded it — nothing you do in the app changes the original. At upload the app records a SHA-256 fingerprint of the file, shown in the detail panel as sha256: …. A fingerprint is a long code calculated from the file's contents: if even one pixel or character changed, the code would be completely different. It lets you show that a file is the same one you added on the date you added it.

• Photo location data. Phone photos often carry GPS coordinates. The app doesn't display that location, and removes it from the copies that collaborators download and from the Court-ready PDF. The stored original is untouched (so its fingerprint still matches), and only the case owner can download it.
• iPhone photos (HEIC) are previewed as JPEG so they display everywhere; the original HEIC stays as it was.

Adding context to an item#

Click any item to open its detail panel. The more you fill in, the more useful everything downstream becomes.

Extracting text with AI#

Text extraction reads the words out of a screenshot, photo, or PDF so you can search it, quote it, and use it in documents. For message screenshots, it writes one line per message with the sender and timestamp, treating right-side bubbles as you and left-side bubbles as the other person, and marks [unknown sender] instead of guessing.

1. Run extractionIn an item's detail panel click Extract text. To do many at once, use Extract all missing in the header, or select items and choose Extract text. Bulk runs work three at a time.
2. Review itThe AI result appears labeled as extracted. Read it against the original and correct anything wrong in Verified transcription (your corrected version).
3. Mark it verifiedTick I have reviewed this transcription and it is accurate. The AI's version and your corrected version are stored separately, so it's always clear which is which. Running extraction again clears the verified mark.

Transcribing audio and video#

For recordings, click Generate transcript in the detail panel. Transcription detects the language and labels each speaker ("Speaker A", "Speaker B"). It usually takes a minute or two; very long files can time out — if that happens, try again or split the recording. Use Open player + full transcript to play the recording with the transcript alongside it.

Speaker labels can't be renamed yet, so note who each speaker is in the item's description. As with extracted text, review a transcript for accuracy before you rely on it.

Finding things#

• Search covers descriptions, extracted text, and filenames. It currently matches capitalization exactly, so if a search comes up empty, try it with different capitalization. Tags aren't searched.
• Filters: Issue, Priority, and File type (images, videos, audio, PDFs, documents, other).
• Views: Grid, List, or the folder browser. All folders flattens everything into one list you can sort by name, date, or type.
• Scope (workspace library): everything, unassigned items only, or drill into one court case.

Folders#

Create folders with New folder, nest them as deep as you like, rename them, and drag items onto a folder or a breadcrumb to move them. Right-click a folder for more options. When you delete a folder you choose whether to keep the evidence inside (it moves out of the folder) or delete it along with the folder.

Folder trees are personal: if your attorney or advocate is a collaborator, they organize shared items into their own folders without rearranging yours.

Working with many items at once#

Click Select items to get a selection toolbar: select all, extract text, Assign to case…, Move to folder…, and delete.

Item history (audit log)#

Each item keeps a log, in UTC, of when it was uploaded (with its fingerprint, filename, size, and who uploaded it), edited (which fields changed), extracted, transcribed, or restored. The log is part of the item, so deleting the item deletes its log too.

Exporting evidence#

Evidence feeds several exports — an exhibit PDF with a cover, contents, and a divider for each exhibit; a printable Evidence Index; a ZIP of originals with a manifest; and tabbed hearing binders. They're all covered in Binders & exports.

If a file needs to be re-uploaded#

If you see "This file needs to be re-uploaded" on an item, or a banner asking you to Select the originals, the stored copy of that file is missing. Choose the same original file from your device: the app checks it against the fingerprint recorded at upload and restores it if it matches. If it doesn't match exactly, you can still attach it — the item's history will show that the fingerprint differs. Items waiting for a re-upload are left out of exports until they're restored.