How evidence is classified, which matters we take, and the limits of everything published here.
Every factual statement in a case file carries one of three marks. The mark attaches to the statement, never to a person and never to an outcome.
An examiner qualified in the relevant discipline reviewed the underlying record, device, or artifact directly, under documented chain of custody, and the finding follows from that review. Verified means the examination happened and this is what it found. It does not mean the person is innocent, that a claim is legally proven, or that an opposing party did anything wrong.
A participant states it. It may be documented, consistent, and entirely true, but it has not been independently established by examination. Most of what anyone knows about any case sits here, and saying so is the point.
Two accounts conflict on a material point, or the evidence itself is internally inconsistent. Disputed items are published with both accounts stated and neither one resolved.
Items move. When an alleged item becomes verified, or a verified item is withdrawn because the underlying evidence did not hold, the change is entered in the case file's update log with the date and the reason. We do not silently edit a published finding.
A matter is far more likely to be accepted when all of the following are true.
We decline most submissions. Declining a matter is a judgment about what we can examine and publish responsibly. It is not a judgment about whether the person is telling the truth.
Public Defend does not accept a matter where it has a financial interest in the outcome of the litigation, and does not accept compensation contingent on a case result or on the amount a campaign raises. Examiners disclose prior relationships with any party before being engaged. Where an examiner's finding contradicts the client's account, the finding is published.
Public Defend does not collect, hold, escrow, or distribute contributions. Fundraising campaigns linked from this site are organized and controlled by the person in the case or their immediate family, who is also the named beneficiary. Money moves from the donor to the fundraising platform to that beneficiary. It never passes through Public Defend.
Contributions to an individual are not tax deductible. Under United States law, a charitable deduction requires a contribution to a qualified organization that has full control and discretion over the funds. Money earmarked for a specific named individual does not qualify, even when a charitable organization is involved in the transaction. Any page on this site that suggests otherwise is in error.
Public Defend takes no percentage of funds raised. Our work is billed at a flat fee agreed in advance and disclosed in the case file's cost breakdown, or it is performed at no cost. We are not a professional fundraiser, commercial fundraiser, or fundraising counsel, and we do not solicit charitable contributions through this website.
Third-party fundraising platforms charge processing fees and set their own terms, refund policies, and content rules. Those terms govern your contribution, not ours. Some platforms prohibit fundraising for the legal defense of individuals formally charged with certain offenses, and a campaign can be removed for reasons outside anyone's control here.
Public Defend is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not provide legal advice. Nothing on this website is legal advice or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Submitting a form, corresponding with us, or having a matter examined does not create an attorney-client relationship with Public Defend or with anyone else.
Public Defend does not select, recommend, endorse, or refer attorneys, and does not operate a lawyer referral service. Clients retain counsel of their own choosing through their own independent process. Where specialists are engaged in a matter, they work under the direction of counsel the client has already retained.
Public Defend is a private organization. It is not a public defender office, a court, a government agency, or affiliated with any of them, and it does not provide appointed counsel. If you cannot afford an attorney in a criminal matter, ask the court to appoint one.
Statements in a case file that are marked alleged or disputed are allegations and contested claims. They are reported as claims made by a participant and are not assertions of fact by Public Defend. A verification mark applies to an item of evidence and is not a finding of guilt, innocence, liability, or wrongdoing by any person, named or unnamed.
Do not send evidence, medical records, or privileged communications through the public intake form. It transmits ordinary email and is not a secure channel. Communications with Public Defend are not protected by attorney-client privilege. Material shared with us may lose privilege it would otherwise have, which is one more reason to route sensitive material through your attorney.
Submitting a matter does not obligate Public Defend to examine, accept, publish, or fund it, and does not guarantee any investigative, legal, or financial outcome. Prior results in other matters do not predict results in yours.
If a statement on this site is inaccurate, write to corrections@publicdefend.com with the specific statement and the basis for the correction. Substantiated corrections are made and logged in the relevant case file. This applies to opposing parties and to anyone named in a case file.