Discovery Process
Compiling evidence for disclosure
About the Discovery Process
Discovery is the constitutional requirement to disclose evidence to the defense. What was once manageable paperwork has become a massive digital operation.
The Scale Problem
Modern cases generate enormous volumes:
- Thousands of pages of reports
- Hundreds of hours of body camera footage
- Gigabytes of cell phone extractions
- Terabytes of surveillance video
A single homicide case might have 100,000+ files totaling over 1TB. Managing this manually is impossible.
The 14 Categories
Discovery in serious cases typically includes:
Each category has its own collection challenges, format considerations, and redaction requirements.
Why Track Categories?
Without category tracking:
- Items get missed
- Defense files motions for incomplete discovery
- Cases get dismissed
- Evidence gets suppressed
Systematic tracking ensures completeness. IronCase shows which categories have items, which are empty, and which have gaps.
Redaction Requirements
Not everything can be disclosed as-is:
- Victim PII: Social security numbers, addresses
- Witness safety: Identity of confidential informants
- Third-party privacy: Uninvolved persons in videos
- Law enforcement techniques: Undercover operations
Redaction is time-consuming. IronCase tracks which items need redaction and their status.
The Filing Deadline
In California, PC 825 requires filing charges within 48 hours of arrest (excluding weekends and holidays). This creates intense time pressure:
The filing package must be ready—even if full discovery takes weeks longer.
Continuous Disclosure
Discovery isn't one-time. New evidence triggers new disclosure obligations:
- Lab results arrive
- New witnesses identified
- Additional digital evidence processed
- Follow-up investigation findings
IronCase tracks what's been disclosed and what's new since last disclosure.
Why Structure This?
Unstructured discovery leads to:
- Last-minute scrambles before trial
- Duplicated files
- Missing items
- Brady violations (failure to disclose exculpatory evidence)
Structured tracking from the start of the case prevents these problems. When it's time to compile discovery, the work is already organized.