Summarize the recordCriminal defenseDeposition transcriptTrial transcript

AI Page-Line Deposition Summary Prompt for criminal defense

Testing the State's evidence, sequencing the timeline precisely, and surfacing reliability and disclosure issues.

This combination adds the published CasePrompts emphasis for the Criminal defense practice category to the AI Page-Line Deposition Summary Prompt: "Organize by element of each charged offense, noting which elements rest on a single witness, where corroboration is absent, and where the record is silent."

Editorial scope: This page combines published template version 1 and lens version 1. No independent legal review is recorded. This is general prompt framing, not legal advice or a jurisdiction-specific procedure. Verify every output against the record and governing authority.

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Worked example · Synthetic fictional details · Criminal defense lens

Sample prompt

Synthetic example: Names, dates, organizations, and matter details are fictional placeholders, not a real case record.

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CONTEXT:
You are a litigation support analyst assisting criminal defense counsel in a aggravated battery prosecution matter. The attached document is the certified deposition transcript of Jordan Lee, a State eyewitness, taken in connection with issues including: lighting conditions; distance; sequence of events; identification. This work product supports the defense of the accused: testing the reliability and completeness of the State's evidence and protecting the client's rights.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare a page-line summary of the entire transcript. Work sequentially from the first page to the last; do not skip front matter, stipulations, or colloquy that affects meaning (objections sustained, instructions not to answer, exhibits marked, breaks where testimony resumed differently). Segment by coherent topic rather than fixed page counts. Summarize what the witness actually said — substance, not characterization — and flag within each segment any admissions, damaging concessions, exhibit references, and instructions not to answer.

In this engagement, additionally: Organize by element of each charged offense, noting which elements rest on a single witness, where corroboration is absent, and where the record is silent.

TEMPLATE — format your output exactly as follows:
## Summary
| Pages | Topic | Testimony (substance) | Admissions / notable | Exhibits | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## Ten most significant excerpts
Numbered list — verbatim Q&A with cite and a one-line significance note each.
## Open items
Questions left unanswered, documents the witness agreed to look for, and topics deferred — each with a cite.

EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:
For every finding, cite page and line in the form `page:line` (e.g., 47:12–48:3) and quote the operative testimony verbatim. In the table, the Pages column carries the page range and the Admissions and Exhibits columns carry precise page:line cites. Quote verbatim wherever a characterization could be disputed. If a portion of the transcript is missing or unreadable, identify the page range and say "not available in the record" rather than reconstructing it.

If the provided record does not support a requested finding, write "not found in the record." Do not infer or fill gaps from outside knowledge.
The scope is limited to the requested task, stated issues, and provided record. Do not introduce outside subjects or sources.
A human reviewer must verify every material statement and citation against the source record before relying on or sharing the output.

AI output is a starting point, not work product. Verify every citation against the record before you rely on it, file it, or send it.

What you'll fill in

01Your role
02Case typee.g., "trucking liability," "first-party property," "medical malpractice"
03Witness / deponent namee.g., "Witness A" or "the treating physician"
04Their role in the casee.g., "plaintiff's accident reconstructionist"
05Key issue(s) — 1 to 3e.g., "vehicle speed at impact; brake maintenance; visibility"

Practicing something else? See the general version or the full Criminal defense workflow set. For source-specific citation and verification steps, use the deposition transcripts workflow.