What Is Jury Presentation Mode?
Jury Presentation Mode transforms FrameCounsel into a courtroom display tool. It provides a clean, distraction-free interface optimized for showing evidence to a jury on a secondary display, with attorney-facing controls on the primary screen.
Setting Up
- Connect a secondary display (projector, TV, or monitor) to your Mac.
- Open your case in FrameCounsel.
- Go to View > Jury Presentation Mode or press Cmd + Shift + P.
- FrameCounsel moves the presentation view to the secondary display and shows the control panel on your primary screen.
Tip: Test your setup before going to court. Connect the display, enter presentation mode, and rehearse your key evidence moments. Familiarize yourself with the controls so you can present smoothly under pressure.
The Presentation Display
The secondary display shows:
- The video player at maximum size with a clean black background
- The current transcript line (if enabled) as a subtitle overlay
- Timeline markers (if enabled) as subtle indicators at the bottom
All FrameCounsel UI chrome — toolbars, panels, menus — is hidden from the jury's view.
The Control Panel
Your primary screen shows the control panel with:
- Video controls: Play, pause, skip, frame-step, speed adjustment
- Bookmark list: Pre-saved moments you can jump to instantly
- Transcript view: The full transcript with the current line highlighted
- Annotation overlay controls: Show or hide annotations, markers, and comparison views
- Zoom controls: Zoom into a specific region of the video for detail
Preparing Bookmarks
Before your presentation, create bookmarks for every moment you plan to show:
- In normal mode, navigate to the moment in the video.
- Press B to create a bookmark.
- Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Officer approaches vehicle," "Subject's hands visible").
- In presentation mode, your bookmarks appear in a list. Click any bookmark to jump there instantly.
Best Practices
- Pre-load all evidence before entering the courtroom. Do not import files during presentation.
- Disable all macOS notifications (System Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb).
- Keep the Mac plugged into power — video playback drains the battery quickly.
- Bring a backup of your case on a second drive in case of hardware failure.
- Use a wireless presenter remote (Logitech Spotlight or similar) for hands-free control.
Split-Screen Comparison
You can show two videos side by side in presentation mode for multi-camera comparison. Use the Split View button on the control panel to enable this. Each video can be independently controlled or linked for synchronized playback.
Warning: Court rules vary regarding the use of technology in the courtroom. Check with the court clerk or judge before your presentation to confirm that connecting a laptop and secondary display is permitted.