Claude Prompt: Motion to Suppress Outline for Criminal Defense
Builds a suppression motion outline from the record: the evidence at issue, the sequence of police conduct with quotes and time stamps, each ground with the authority you paste or an authority-needed marker, the prosecution's likely facts, hearing witnesses and exhibits, and proposed findings.
The Prompt
Variables (8)
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| {{client_name}} | Client Name | Daniel Okafor |
| {{court_and_jurisdiction}} | Court and Jurisdiction | Riverton Municipal Court, Ohio (fictitious) |
| {{evidence_to_suppress}} | Evidence to Suppress | Handgun recovered from the vehicle console; statements made at 02:31 hrs |
| {{grounds_the_attorney_is_raising}} | Grounds the Attorney Is Raising | (1) Stop without stated basis; (2) warrantless search of vehicle; (3) statements after request for counsel |
| {{paste_authority_text_for_each_ground}} | Paste authority text for each ground | Pasted text of the constitutional provision, rule or opinion the attorney relies on for each ground |
| {{paste_record_excerpts}} | Paste record excerpts | Incident report p.2; body-camera transcript 02:14:10 to 02:31:44; CAD printout |
| {{paste_governing_rule_on_suppression_motions}} | Paste governing rule on suppression motions | Local rule text on timing and format of suppression motions |
| {{paste_attorney_directions_on_client_account}} | Paste attorney directions on client account | Leave blank if the client account is not to be used |
Expected Output
Conflicts between sources; evidence at issue; a sequenced record of police conduct with quotes and time stamps; one section per ground with pasted authority or an authority-needed marker; the facts the prosecution will rely on; hearing witnesses and exhibits; proposed findings tied to record cites; missing information, declined statements and a verification list.
Usage Notes
Use after discovery is in and you have decided which grounds to raise. Paste the record excerpts and the authority text for each ground. Watch for grounds with no pasted authority: they carry an authority-needed marker, not a remembered standard. The client's account is not used unless you direct it in the inputs. This is an outline for your own drafting, not motion text. Not legal advice. The attorney remains responsible for verifying every fact, figure and authority before use.
Double-check before use
- Check that no doctrine, test or warning is named that you did not paste. In testing, a warnings doctrine was named in an open question.
- Read the declined lists and the proposed findings for any trace of the client's own account before the outline is shared with anyone.
These are the places where this prompt was seen to slip when tested on sample cases with a small AI model.
Legal Sources Referenced
- Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)(3)(C) (a motion to suppress evidence must be made before trial if the basis for the motion is then reasonably available and the motion can be determined without a trial on the merits)
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.