The Digital Evidence System is a software application that allows Small Claims litigants to upload, share, view, and present evidence for a specific hearing.
Evidence uploaded to the Digital Evidence System is securely stored and will be available on your hearing date to present; eliminating the need to bring copies of your evidence to the Court.
You may upload your evidence if you are a party in a Small Claims matter and will present evidence at the hearing. The use of the Digital Evidence System is not mandatory, however, you are strongly encouraged to upload your evidence to the portal.
First, be sure to have the following information available:
Next, on the portal's landing page, you will click on Sign-Up. Then, you will need to identify your case by the case number and hearing date.
Once your case has been found, follow the prompts to finalize your account creation.
Learn how to create an account, as well as how to upload and share evidence by watching the following tutorial: Watch Video Tutorial
Yes, if you are a party to the case that wishes to submit evidence in support of your respective position, you are required to provide copies of the evidence to the opposing side at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing date.
In lieu of mailing to the Court and to the opposing party, evidence may be uploaded via the Digital Evidence System for cases with a future hearing date.
If you upload your evidence to the digital portal, you may share the evidence electronically without having to mail a physical copy to the Court and to the opposing side.
The Digital Evidence System allows the litigant to:
Any evidence you plan on offering to support your position must be shared with the opposing party and the Court at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing.
In lieu of mailing to the Court and to the opposing party, evidence may be uploaded via the Digital Evidence System for cases with a future hearing date and shared with the opposing party through the conclusion of the hearing and a ruling has been entered.
For more information, you may access the operative Standing Order re: Evidence Exchange by clicking here.
No, evidence may be uploaded in multiple sessions. For the Court to consider the evidence, all documents/images must be uploaded at least ten (10) days prior to the scheduled hearing date.
Pursuant to the operative Standing Order re: Evidence Exchange, a party's failure to share evidence at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing date may result in the evidence not being considered by the Court. If evidence is not exchanged in advance of the hearing, the matter may proceed without the evidence or continued to allow parties to exchange evidence.
The party's First Name, Last Name and an Email Address or Cell Phone are required to share digital evidence. If you do not have the necessary information, you may upload evidence to the portal for the benefit of yourself and the Court.
You would still be required to mail evidence to the opposing party and complete LASC local form LACIV 278 Exchange and Submission of Evidence (Small Claims).
Parties must comply with the operative Standing Order re: Evidence Exchange. A party's failure to submit evidence to the Court at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing date may result in the evidence not being considered by the Court. If evidence is not exchanged in advance of the hearing, the matter may be continued to allow parties to exchange evidence.
No, a separate Digital Evidence account is not required. You may upload to different cases if you are able to provide the required information.
No, a unique account will be created for the Digital Evidence System.
No, parties on the same side may upload evidence individually or upload evidence jointly.
When there are multiple plaintiffs or defendants, one party can upload evidence on behalf of more than one party.
How will my evidence be identified?
Once the evidence has been successfully submitted to the Digital Evidence System with a brief description of the item, it will be identified with a unique “Exhibit Number.” When presenting the evidence during the hearing, the party must refer to that exhibit number. The exhibit number can be obtained by printing either the “Exhibit Receipt” or the “Exhibit List”.
Can I print a list of the evidence that I have uploaded?
Yes, you can print an Exhibit Receipt and/or an Exhibit List. The Exhibit Receipt may include a copy of the images depending on the format.
Can I print a copy of the image once it has been uploaded to the portal?
Yes, JPGs/PNGs (i.e., images) can be downloaded and printed.
If I accidentally upload something that is personal and not related to my case. How can it be removed/deleted from the Digital Evidence System?
If you inadvertently upload evidence to the portal that you decide is not relevant and will not be used in court to support your position, you will have the opportunity to delete/remove any exhibits during “Step2 – Upload Files” process.
Once evidence is uploaded and successfully submitted to the Digital Evidence System, it cannot be removed/deleted from the portal until the case has been completed, at which time the evidence is no longer available. You may choose not to share those documents/images with the opposing side if they are not relevant and will not be used to support your position.
Parties will receive notification when the evidence is scheduled to be purged from the system. It will contain a link to the Digital Evidence System, allowing them to download their evidence if they choose.
If I mail my evidence to the opposing party and the Court, am I still required to upload my evidence?
Each party is ordered to comply with the operative Standing Order re: Protocol for Exchange and Submission of Evidence. If you have mailed your evidence to the Court and the opposing side, you are not required to upload your evidence. Use of the Digital Evidence System is not mandatory. However, you are strongly encouraged to upload your evidence to the portal.
My evidence does not appear in the correct order. How can I sort the images?
The evidence can be reordered by the uploader during the upload process.
Once the uploader confirms the process is completed, no further editing will be permitted.
I am not proficient in English; can I still use the Digital Evidence System to upload by evidence?
Yes, the Digital Evidence System includes a feature that will translate the instructions into Spanish. However, the description for your evidence must be entered in English.
In the upper right-hand corner, click the down arrow on the “Select a Language” button to translate the instructions into Spanish.
My hearing date was continued/postponed after I uploaded my evidence. Will the evidence be available for the new hearing date?
Yes. If the case was continued/postponed to a future hearing date of the same hearing type, the evidence will be moved to the new hearing date. It is recommended that you verify the case number and future hearing date are listed within the “Court Hearings” panel.
Click the “View” button to display the evidence that has been uploaded to your case. If you need to add additional evidence, click the “Upload” button, and proceed.
How do I present my evidence at the hearing?
If your evidence was mailed to the Court at least 10 days prior to the hearing date, the envelope containing your evidence will be given to the judicial officer when your case is called.
If your evidence was uploaded via the Digital Evidence System at least 10 days prior to the hearing date, the judicial officer will login to the portal and view your evidence electronically.
When your case is called, provide the judicial officer with an overview of the case, and briefly state the facts of your dispute. You will need to refer to the evidence in a meaningful way and logical order to support your claim.
Will my evidence be displayed for the audience or only for the judicial officer and other court staff?
Although some courtrooms may be equipped with Digital Evidence Presentation Systems, Small Claims evidence is generally not displayed for the audience. The judicial officer and court staff will be able to view the evidence electronically that was uploaded for your case.
How long will the Court store my digital evidence?
The Court will not have access to the evidence after the ruling. Once the case has been marked “completed”, an email notification will be sent to the party that uploaded the evidence regarding the purging of exhibits. The uploader may download any evidence within 60 days from the notification date by clicking on the link provided in the email notification, if desired.
Will I be notified if the Court intends to purge my digital evidence?
The party that uploaded the evidence will receive a notification at least 60 days prior to the Court's intent to purge digital evidence from the portal. During the 60-day period, the evidence may be accessed and downloaded, if desired.
Can I receive my evidence after the hearing has concluded?
Yes. The Digital Evidence System allows you to download your evidence up to 60 days after the case has been completed. After 60 days, the evidence will be purged from the portal. If the evidence is not downloaded during this time frame, it will be lost.
It is recommended to use the Digital Evidence System with the following browsers:
The Digital Evidence System supports a variety of file formats. Click
here to see a list
Size limitation for evidence uploads are — 100GB per file
Can I use my cell phone to create an account and upload evidence?
Yes, if your cell phone has access to the internet and documents and/or images, it may be used to upload evidence. However, a desktop device or laptop is recommended for a better viewing experience. Certain features will not be available (e.g., hover over icons) on your cell phone.
I uploaded my evidence and now want to share it with the opposing side, but I do not see my evidence on the case. What should I do?
There are a couple of situations in which your evidence may not have been uploaded to your case: the system may have timed out before the upload process was completed or you may have inadvertently clicked the back-button or refreshed the page.
Verify the case number and information is listed within the “Court Hearings” panel.
If the case number is not listed, you will need to add the case number and upload your evidence to that case. If the case number is listed, click the “View” button to display the evidence that has been uploaded to your case. If you need to add additional evidence, click the “Upload” button, and proceed.
Who do I contact if I need specific information regarding my case?
If you need specific information regarding your case, you may check the Court's website or contact the courthouse where your case is scheduled to be heard. Please have the case number available.
Call the Service Desk for Assistance
If you are experiencing technical difficulties and need assistance with creating a Digital Evidence System account or resetting your password, you can call 213-830-0400 during normal Court business hours Monday — Friday between 8:30am and 4:30pm (except holidays).
