All hearing and trial evidence is now required to be digitally uploaded into the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System.
The new system officially went into effect on January 1, and the goal of the project is to streamline evidence collection and record keeping. The Minnesota Digital Exhibit System was a pilot program that began during the COVID-19 outbreak, and having access to digital evidence files has been a welcomed change for those involved in the court system. Uploading evidence to the system was optional over the past three years, but now it is mandatory for both remote and in-person trials in Minnesota.
““For the past three years, though, MNDES has been a pilot program, so its use was optional,” said Kim Pleticha, public affairs director with the judicial branch. “Now, as of Jan. 1, MNDES becomes mandatory for all cases statewide, so that means remote and in person.”
Easier Evidence Access
Online access and digital record keeping makes it much easier for parties to review documents and files from a remote location, which was essential during the coronavirus outbreak. Even with the worst of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, defense attorneys, prosecutors, defendants and judges will all benefit from having full access to digital evidence uploads for their cases.
“Everyone involved in the case, from the parties to the attorneys to the judges to the jury, will all have secured digital access to any exhibits uploaded in the case,” Pleticha said.
The Minnesota Digital Exhibit System will store documents associated with a case, but it will also be able to store audio files, video files and images that have been entered in as evidence. And while this evidence won’t be directly accessible by the public, judges and juries will be able to view the information during court or deliberations to ensure they have all the evidence they need to provide a ruling.
“Over the past three years, we have found that MNDES provides a secure and consistent means for people to manage hearing and trial exhibits,” Minnesota Chief Justice Natalie Hudson said on the MJB’s website. “Just as we modernized electronic court filings, MNDES modernizes how we manage evidence in hearings.”
So while attorneys will have to do a little more work behind the scenes getting evidence uploaded to the system, we think this digital record keeping is a good thing for citizens and for justice as a whole.
If you need help fighting a criminal charge in the greater Twin Cities area, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
