Legal and Criminal Claims Checklist for Progressive Activism

Record the exact wording, date, speaker, venue, platform, and any attached media. Assign a staff owner and time box the first-pass review to 30 minutes in your team workflow tool.

Tag as investigation, indictment, plea, court ruling, or DOJ action so legal or research leads see only relevant items. This speeds review and reduces cross-team noise.

Download filings from PACER or CourtListener, state portals like NYSCEF, and official DOJ or state AG press releases. Avoid relying on reporter live tweets until the docket confirms details.

Record case number, jurisdiction, judge, charges, next hearing, and known counsel. Keep a single spreadsheet so comms, field, and fundraising work from the same facts.

Confirm whether it is a complaint, indictment, or information, and whether a claim refers to a ruling or a motion. Correct posture prevents overclaiming and preserves credibility.

Use Perma.cc or the Wayback Machine for web pages and RECAP for federal filings, and store PDFs in a read-only drive. Include a checksum or version note if filings get superseded.

Build a 24-hour on-call rotation with pro bono counsel for posts involving live cases or individuals. Keep a color-coded risk scale so comms knows when to wait for counsel.

Say alleged conduct unless there is a verdict or stipulated fact, and cite the specific filing or order. Avoid assigning intent without evidence in the record.

Check the docket for access restrictions before quoting or uploading exhibits. Do not republish sealed or restricted content, and avoid paraphrases that defeat a gag order.

Label the forum and cause of action so supporters do not confuse a civil fraud judgment with a criminal conviction. This prevents blowback and strengthens trust with persuadables.

Name the court and jurisdiction in each graphic or post, for example state trial court versus federal appellate court. This contextualizes rulings and expected next steps.

Define indictment, arraignment, plea, sentencing, appeal, stay, and injunction with non-legal examples. Train staff quarterly to keep writing at a sixth-grade reading level without losing accuracy.

Create a one-sentence TLDR, five-bullet receipts with citations, and a 150-word explainer. This lets comms pick the right depth for social, press, or canvassing contexts.

Put the claim versus facts on the front and the docket number, source, and QR code on the back. Use large fonts and high contrast for porch reading.

If a ruling impacts a state program or county court, name the local officeholders and practical impacts. Tie to services voters touch, like voting access or consumer protections.

Use community translators and a second native speaker for review, and keep legal terms consistent across languages. Publish alt text translations for graphics as well.

Describe what a filing shows, not just what it looks like, and include dates, courts, and outcomes. Captions help both accessibility and searchability.

Keep modular snippets for indictments, rulings, and DOJ actions with placeholders for case numbers and dates. This speeds approvals during breaking news.

Practice answering common door and phone questions with evidence-first scripts. Rotate volunteers so every new canvasser tries both skeptic and explainer roles.

List the case name, court, next hearing, and a plain-language summary. Update every Monday so weekend shifts have fresh information.

Log hostile interactions in your CRM with the script used and any claims encountered, and alert legal or security if threats appear. This improves future training and safety planning.

Craft tailored points for veterans, faith leaders, lawyers, and small business owners with relevant stakes and citations. Supply them with QR cards and a media contact.

Offer a 20-minute explainer on Zoom or at the library with a Q&A and a handout of receipts. Invite local reporters to improve accuracy in coverage.

Keep educational briefings under your 501(c)(3) and advocacy calls to action under your 501(c)(4), and train volunteers on the difference. Include correct disclaimers on all materials.

Use CourtListener alerts and state e-filing notifications, and pipe them into a dedicated Slack channel. Assign a rotating docket-watcher to triage alerts during business hours.

Track hearings, briefing schedules, and expected ruling windows to plan content and volunteer asks. Add reminders 72 hours and 24 hours ahead.

Use a naming convention like YYYY-MM-DD_Court_CaseNumber_DocumentType. This makes links stable for social posts, press pitches, and canvassing cards.

Strip personal addresses, juror info, and phone numbers from shared screenshots and exhibits, and blur signatures when unnecessary. Log redaction decisions for audits.

File targeted requests for charging memos or policy directives, and track statutory response dates. Coordinate with partner orgs to avoid duplicative requests.

When referencing candidates or elections, include proper disclaimers and comply with FEC and state rules, and separate 501(c)(3) educational content from solicitations. Review merch and ads for jurisdictional compliance.