We are piloting another project with Thomson Reuters, the Westlaw people, using grant funds.  One of the biggest challenges during the Pandemic is the exchange of digital evidence between prosecutors and defense counsel or pro se defendants.  Courts have always had the problem of storage, retention and viewing digital evidence as body cameras, security cameras and video social media increase in usage.  Caselines is an on-line service provided by Thomson Reuter which permits the police to upload digital evidence of every kind.  The prosecutor can then review it, redact if necessary, and invite defense counsel or anyone else, via email, to go on-line and review the evidence.  The evidence can also be downloaded by the viewer and shared.  Defense counsel and expert witnesses can also upload digital evidence and victims, advocates and other witnesses can view the evidence if permitted.

In addition to the discovery exchange, the evidence is available at all times on-line to display in the courtroom or share on Zoom for hearings or trials.  Litigants do not have to exchange DVDs or flash drives or file these objects with the Clerk and test them for operability prior to any hearing.  Uploads can be restricted for filing evidence under seal. 

This service will be available September 1, 2021 for criminal and major traffic cases like OVI and hit-skip generated by the cities of Maple Heights and Brecksville only.  If the pilot project is successful, the service will be provided for all municipalities in the Court district and in the second year may be extended to civil cases. 

In order to access Caselines, you must receive an email to register and view the discovery materials from the Court or another party already registered on the case.