Review workflow
A criminal discovery review checklist
Start with what you received. Track what you reviewed. Keep every finding connected to the evidence.
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A useful discovery review checklist separates three questions: What did the firm receive? What has someone actually reviewed? What still needs follow-up? A folder full of files answers only the first question. Use the sequence below to build a review record your team can return to.
This is a workflow aid for criminal-defense teams, not a statement of discovery obligations or a substitute for attorney judgment.
1. Make an inventory before drawing conclusions
Record the source, receipt date, filename, file type, and version for each item. Count document pages and recording durations separately. Flag files that will not open, missing attachments, and recordings whose duration you cannot determine. Keep the originals intact.
Give each item a stable reference your team can recognize. A useful entry might be “Interview recording 02; received October 8; 38 minutes; audio readable; review not started.” Do not treat a successful upload as proof that the entire file was processed or reviewed.
| Ref | Item | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| REC‑02 | Interview recording, received Oct 8 | 38 min | Review not started |
| DOC‑07 | Arrest report, received Oct 8 | 6 pages | Attorney-reviewed |
| VID‑03 | Body-camera clip, received Oct 9 | Unknown | Won’t open |
2. Track coverage explicitly
Use distinct statuses for received, readable, processed, and attorney-reviewed. For a long recording, record which time ranges were reviewed. For a scanned document, check whether text extraction covered every page and whether handwriting or faint text needs manual attention.
Keep a follow-up list for unavailable files and incomplete coverage. “No relevant statement found” means something different when an interview was fully reviewed than when its audio could not be transcribed.
Two files are unreadable, two more were not processed, and 17 are waiting for attorney review. All 21 belong on the follow-up list, not in the “nothing found” column.
3. Attach a source to each finding
Record the filename plus a page number or timestamp. Label exact quotations separately from summaries. For recordings, distinguish elapsed playback time from any displayed clock time. If two files use different clocks, write down the basis for aligning them.
Record conflicting accounts side by side. For example, a report describing a conversation and a recording that begins after that conversation are different kinds of evidence. The later start does not by itself disprove the report.
Was the conversation recorded?
- Report account
- The report describes a conversation before the camera was activated.
- Recording coverage
- The available clip begins after that conversation.
- Question for review
- Is there another recording or account of the earlier exchange? This clip alone cannot confirm or contradict it.
Report, page 2“I activated my body camera after speaking with the driver.”
Recording review note, elapsed 00:00–00:08The clip begins with the officer walking toward the patrol car.
4. Turn gaps into review questions
For each charge or factual issue, list the available support, conflicting material, and unanswered questions. Describe the scope: “Not located in the files reviewed through October 12” is more precise than “does not exist.” Have the responsible lawyer assess the legal significance.
Assign each follow-up an owner and status. Keep operational questions, such as requesting a readable copy, separate from legal decisions, such as whether and how to challenge an allegation.
5. Revisit the record when discovery changes
Log new and revised files without overwriting the earlier inventory. Identify which findings depend on replaced material. Before using a quotation or factual summary in work product, reopen its source and confirm that the citation still points to the right passage.
Where DiscoRev fits
DiscoRev helps criminal-defense firms review discovery and follow findings back to evidence. Its beta begins with Florida firms and manual acceptance. AI output still needs attorney review, including checks of the underlying sources and incomplete coverage.
The printable checklistFive review steps on one page. No email required.OpenCommon questions
What should a criminal discovery review checklist include?
At minimum: an inventory of what was received, a record of what has actually been reviewed, a source for every finding, a list of open questions with owners, and a log of changes when new discovery arrives.
How do you track review coverage for long recordings?
Record which time ranges were reviewed, and by whom, separately from whether the file was received or transcribed. A transcript existing does not mean the recording was reviewed.
Can AI replace attorney review of discovery?
No. AI tools can organize material and point to sources, but the responsible lawyer still needs to check consequential findings against the underlying evidence and decide what they mean.