This rule requires lawyers to put the exhibits that they intend to introduce during their hearing or trial on a USB flash drive.
The attorney presenting the exhibits will then either display the exhibit up on a screen in the courtroom, or provide paper copies of exhibits as duplicates of what is on the flash drive.
In any event, under the rule, the flash drive will be the exhibit that is introduced.
Under the rule, the presiding judge may waive the flash drive submission requirement for good cause shown.
It is noted that the rule has technical requirements for the maximum size of each file on the drive, that being 50 MB.
The rule also requires lawyers to save each exhibit as a separate file on the flash drive.
If an exhibit exceeds the 50 MB limit, it has to be split up.
The rule also requires that the flash drive have a separate file for an index of exhibits.
The rule otherwise specifies what audio, video, documents and photograph files must be used.
It has been reported that the rationale for the rule is that, on appeal, the record before the trial court will be transmitted electronically to the appellate court. Absent the use of the above procedure, any paper exhibits would have to be digitized by court staff before the record could go up on appeal, which puts a burden on the courthouse workers, especially when there is a large trial record.
It has been noted that the court is also trying to reduce paper storage in the courthouse.
Again, this rule goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
Note also that a similar local rule is already in effect in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas.