Claude Prompt: Criminal Case Intake and Charge Assessment Memo
Turns the charging document, arrest report and intake notes into an internal memo: each charge with elements from statute text you paste, the facts alleged for each element and their source, custody status, immediate tasks and client questions.
The Prompt
Variables (9)
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{client_name}} | Client Name | Daniel Okafor |
| {{court_and_jurisdiction}} | Court and Jurisdiction | Riverton Municipal Court, Ohio (fictitious) |
| {{today_s_date}} | Today's Date | 2026-10-02 |
| {{paste_charging_document}} | Paste charging document | Complaint No. 26-CR-0417: Count 1, Burglary, statute cited as stated in the complaint; Count 2, Theft ... |
| {{paste_arrest_report}} | Paste arrest report | Report of Officer R. Delgado, 09/28/2026, 02:14 hrs: "Observed subject exiting a rear window ..." |
| {{paste_intake_notes}} | Paste intake notes | Intake call 10/01 with client's sister: client was arrested 09/28; she says he lives at 14 Elm St ... |
| {{paste_statute_text_for_each_charge}} | Paste statute text for each charge | Pasted text of the statute for Count 1 and Count 2, with citations |
| {{paste_custody_and_release_documents}} | Paste custody and release documents | Bond order dated 09/29/2026: bond set, conditions listed ... |
| {{paste_supplied_dates_and_orders}} | Paste supplied dates and orders | Arraignment set 10/06/2026 at 9:00 a.m.; no-contact order dated 09/29/2026 |
Expected Output
Conflicts between sources; a charge table (charge, statute text quoted, elements, facts alleged with source, gaps); custody and release status; immediate tasks (evidence to preserve, people to locate, orders in force); deadlines from supplied dates and text only; questions for the client; missing information, declined statements and a verification list.
Usage Notes
Use at the start of a case, before the first substantive client meeting. Paste the charging document, the arrest report, your intake notes and the statute text for each charge. Watch for charges whose statute text you did not paste: they come back with an authority-needed marker, not elements from memory. Read every quoted fact against the source. Not legal advice. The attorney remains responsible for verifying every fact, figure and authority before use.
Double-check before use
- Count the items on the property list yourself. In testing, a stated count that differed from the list was once adopted.
These are the places where this prompt was seen to slip when tested on sample cases with a small AI model.
Originally featured in: Prompt Engineering for Lawyers: The Complete 2026 Guide
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* These prompts are drafting and analysis aids for licensed attorneys. They are not legal advice and do not replace professional judgment. AI output can contain errors, including invented citations and incorrect deadlines: verify every fact, figure, authority and deadline against primary sources before relying on it. Rules vary by jurisdiction, and you remain responsible for the final work product.