A Printable Evidence Checklist for Police Misconduct Records

DZ DEALZ PUBLISHING LLC | Sources checked October 24, 2026

A checklist gives you a place to record what you have and what still needs attention. Below is a printable organizational checklist adapted from the nine sections in the Navigating Excessive Force evidence log. It is a suggested filing aid, not a legal test for proving misconduct. [1] Grab yours for FREE: Evidence Organizing Checklist and Log

Original category graphic adapted from the publisher’s printable evidence log [1]. Category names are shortened for readability.

After an incident involving alleged police misconduct, knowing which records to gather can feel overwhelming. A printable evidence checklist offers a practical starting point for reviewing photographs, recordings, medical records, witness information, and other potentially relevant materials. This article introduces a nine-category checklist to help you track what you have, identify missing records, and organize questions for an attorney. Whether you are documenting your own experience or helping a loved one, use it to work through your records one category at a time.

Print and work through these nine categories

Use the boxes to mark categories reviewed. For each category, note “collected,” “requested,” “not known,” or “not applicable” as appropriate. A checkmark means you reviewed the category; it does not mean the evidence is complete. The actions below are recordkeeping suggestions adapted from the log. [1]

□ 1. Create your evidence file. Start an index with item IDs, descriptions, sources, dates obtained, and storage locations.

□ 2. Write an incident timeline. Record events in order. Identify the source of each entry and mark uncertain dates or times.

□ 3. Preserve photographs, video, and audio. Record who created or supplied each item, when it was recorded if known, and where the full original is stored.

□ 4. Gather agency and facility records. List report numbers, agencies or facilities, custodians, request dates, and dates received.

□ 5. Organize medical evidence. Separate reported symptoms from provider-recorded clinical findings. Track treatment dates and record requests.

□ 6. Identify witnesses. Keep contact information and distinguish what each person personally saw or heard from other information.

□ 7. Preserve grievances and complaints. Keep submissions, responses, appeals, proof of submission, and records of any barriers or rejections.

□ 8. Document financial and practical effects. Keep supporting bills and records. Separate documented amounts from estimates, and don't count an expense twice.

□ 9. Track missing evidence and preservation efforts. Record the missing item, possible custodian, request details, response, and follow-up action.

Keep supporting records behind the checklist

Use the checklist as an overview and an evidence log for item-by-item details. Put the same ID on the index entry and the working copy or its folder. This suggested approach lets you refer to a record without repeatedly renaming it. The publisher’s log expressly supports cross-referencing related IDs. [1]

Do not assume that completing a checklist makes evidence admissible. Federal evidence rules address relevance, authentication, and hearsay separately, among other issues. An item's usefulness depends on its purpose and the applicable rules. [2, Rules 401–403, 801–802, and 901]

Give grievances their own review

For incarcerated people, record the applicable facility policy, each grievance or appeal step, submission dates, responses, and proof of delivery. The log includes space for those details; it does not calculate deadlines. [1]

Under 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a), a confined prisoner bringing an action about prison conditions under § 1983 or other federal law must first exhaust available administrative remedies. This checklist cannot determine whether remedies were available or whether you exhausted them. Get advice on the specific procedures and facts. [3]

Choose the right supporting resource

D'z Dealz Publishing’s Evidence Organizing Checklist listing describes coverage of timelines, photographs, recordings, medical records, witnesses, expenses, and incarcerated individuals’ grievances and appeals. Visit that listing to check its current terms and delivery details. [4]

The separately reviewed printable evidence log contains 10 pages, including an instruction page and nine category pages with two entry blocks each. You can print additional category pages as needed. The checklist and the detailed log serve different organizational purposes; check which resource you are obtaining. [1]

This article provides general educational information, not legal advice or an assessment of any claim. Check current law, applicable court rules, and relevant facility procedures; consult a licensed attorney about your circumstances.

Sources

[1] Dz Dealz Publishing LLC, Navigating Excessive Force Printable Evidence Log, 10-page publisher PDF, reviewed October 24, 2026. Pages 1–10.

[2] Federal Rules of Evidence, Rules 401–403, 801–802, and 901. U.S. Courts.

[3] 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a), Suits by prisoners. Office of the Law Revision Counsel.

[4] Evidence Organizing Checklist. Dz Dealz Publishing product page.