Criminal Defense Exhibits in Pennsylvania
Complete guide to preparing criminal defense exhibits that comply with Pennsylvania court requirements. Learn the correct labeling conventions, exchange deadlines, and e-filing procedures.
- Pennsylvania's primary rule governing exhibit preparation is Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5.
- Plaintiffs in Pennsylvania label exhibits with Numbers (P-1, P-2, P-3...).
- Defendants in Pennsylvania label exhibits with Numbers with D prefix (D-1, D-2, D-3...).
- Pennsylvania courts require electronic exhibits to be filed through County-specific for the courts of common pleas.
- Exhibits must be exchanged with opposing counsel 20 days before trial (Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5) under Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5.
- Common criminal defense exhibits in Pennsylvania include police reports, body camera footage, witness statements.
- ExhibitPrep applies Pennsylvania exhibit stamps entirely in the browser, so criminal defense case files never leave the user's computer.
Pennsylvania Exhibit Requirements at a Glance
| Plaintiff Exhibits | Numbers (P-1, P-2, P-3...) |
| Defendant Exhibits | Numbers with D prefix (D-1, D-2, D-3...) |
| Exchange Deadline | 20 days before trial (Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5) |
| Primary Rule | Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5 |
| E-Filing System | County-specific for the courts of common pleas |
Common Criminal Defense Exhibits
Police Reports
Arrest reports, incident reports, supplemental reports. For Pennsylvania e-filing on County-specific for the courts of common pleas, confirm the current file-size cap (Varies by county; no statewide limit confirmed) before uploading.
Body Camera Footage
Screenshots and stills from body-worn cameras
Witness Statements
Prosecution and defense witness statements
Expert Reports
Forensic analysis, DNA experts, medical examinations
Character Evidence
Letters, employment records, community ties
Physical Evidence Photos
Photographs of physical evidence items
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Pennsylvania-Specific Considerations
- Philadelphia caps individual e-filed exhibits at 5 MB, far tighter than PACFile's statewide 500 MB total, so long scanned records often need to be split.
- Criminal Defense exhibits filed through County-specific for the courts of common pleas must stay within the court's file-size cap (Varies by county; no statewide limit confirmed).
- Plaintiffs in Pennsylvania mark exhibits with Numbers (P-1, P-2, P-3...); defendants use Numbers with D prefix (D-1, D-2, D-3...).
- Exchange your criminal defense exhibit list 20 days before trial (Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5), and confirm any county-level variations with the clerk before trial.
How to Prepare Your Exhibits
Gather Your Documents
Collect all documents relevant to your criminal defense case. This typically includes police reports, body camera footage, witness statements, and other supporting evidence.
Convert to PDF
Convert all documents to PDF format. Pennsylvania courts require electronic exhibits to be filed via County-specific for the courts of common pleas. Scan paper documents at 300 DPI.
Apply Exhibit Labels
Use ExhibitPrep to add Pennsylvania-compliant exhibit stamps. Plaintiffs use Numbers (P-1, P-2, P-3...), defendants use Numbers with D prefix (D-1, D-2, D-3...).
Exchange with Opposing Counsel
Exchange your exhibit list and copies with opposing counsel 20 days before trial (Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5) per Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5.
Save Hours on Exhibit Preparation
ExhibitPrep stamps all your criminal defense exhibits in minutes, not hours. Upload your documents, select the correct Pennsylvania template, and download court-ready exhibits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I label criminal defense exhibits in Pennsylvania?
Use Numbers (P-1, P-2, P-3...) for plaintiff exhibits and Numbers with D prefix (D-1, D-2, D-3...) for defense exhibits, per Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5. Philadelphia caps individual e-filed exhibits at 5 MB, far tighter than PACFile's statewide 500 MB total, so long scanned records often need to be split. ExhibitPrep's Criminal Defense templates apply the right prefix automatically, so you're not re-deriving the local convention on every filing.
When do I have to exchange criminal defense exhibits in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania sets the exhibit exchange window at 20 days before trial (Pa. R.C.P. 4003.5), though the exact date can shift with your assigned judge's scheduling order. Confirm the deadline in your case's pretrial order before you start stamping, then batch-process the full criminal defense production in one ExhibitPrep session once it's locked in.
What e-filing system handles criminal defense exhibits in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania runs electronic filing through County-specific for the courts of common pleas. Check the current upload cap before filing (Varies by county; no statewide limit confirmed), export each exhibit as a text-searchable PDF, and split any long police reports into separate files so a single scanned record doesn't blow past the limit.
What exhibits come up most in a Pennsylvania criminal defense case?
Criminal Defense matters in Pennsylvania typically turn on police reports, body camera footage, witness statements, plus whatever case-specific records the dispute calls for. Philadelphia caps individual e-filed exhibits at 5 MB, far tighter than PACFile's statewide 500 MB total, so long scanned records often need to be split. Stamp them all inside ExhibitPrep using the matching plaintiff or defense template, so every exhibit in the production carries a consistent, court-compliant mark before it goes to opposing counsel.
Can I stamp a large criminal defense production for Pennsylvania courts?
Yes. The Day Pass ($14.99) gives you unlimited stamping for 24 hours, which covers hundreds of exhibits in a single criminal defense case. Processing runs entirely in your browser, so your Pennsylvania case files never leave your computer. That matters here because e-filing upload caps (Varies by county; no statewide limit confirmed) often force a large production into multiple separate uploads.
Related Resources
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ExhibitPrep provides general information about court exhibit practices, not legal advice. Requirements change — verify current rules with your court or clerk before filing.