Auto-Flags¶
Auto-Flags let you define criteria that automatically flag juror answers across your entire panel. Instead of reading every answer for red flags, you define the pattern once and JuryBinder marks every matching answer instantly.
How auto-flagging works¶
When you create a flag rule, JuryBinder evaluates it against every answer in your questionnaire — including answers already recorded and any that are added later. Matching answers are marked with an ▲ rule badge in both the Responses and Jurors views.
Auto-flags are distinct from manual flags. You can have both on the same answer. Auto-flags can't be accidentally cleared — they reflect the current state of your rules.
Creating a rule¶
Select any question row to expand it and open the rule editor. The editor shows inline below the question — no separate page.
- Choose a match type and enter a value.
- Use the sample answers panel to see what jurors have actually written. Click a chip to fill the value field. For Contains, select multiple chips to match any of them (the match type switches to Pattern automatically).
- Optionally add one or more linked questions — answers to those questions appear alongside the flagged answer in the Jurors view. Select + Add linked question to add more.
- Optionally add a condition (a secondary question that must also match for the rule to fire).
- Select Save Rule.
The rule is stored in your case file and applies immediately to all existing answers. Selecting a different question row auto-saves your open rule first, so you don't need to hit Save Rule before moving on.
Match types¶
| Match type | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contains | Flags if the answer includes the value (case-insensitive) | Value: police flags "My brother is a police officer" |
| Does not contain | Flags if the answer does NOT include the value | Value: Salt Lake flags any county answer other than Salt Lake |
| Exact match | Flags only if the entire answer equals the value | Value: Yes flags only the single word "Yes" |
| Any answer (not empty) | Flags any non-blank answer | Useful for sensitive questions where any response is notable |
| No answer (empty) | Flags blank answers | Useful when a question should always be answered |
| Regex pattern | Full JavaScript regex, case-insensitive | Value: law enforcement\|military flags either phrase |
Does not contain — a powerful pattern
The "Does not contain" match type is particularly useful for geographic and demographic questions. If you want to flag everyone who is not from your target county, you need only one rule instead of listing every other county.
Pattern reference for non-programmers
When you select Regex pattern, the editor shows a quick reference with common patterns and plain-English descriptions. Click any example to insert it. Patterns are always case-insensitive — you don't need to account for capitalization.
Some useful patterns for jury selection:
retired|unemployed— matches either word\byes\b— matches the whole word "yes" (won't match "yesterday")^yes— matches answers that start with "yes"law enforcement|police|military— matches any of three phrases
Conditions¶
A condition is an optional second filter. The rule fires only if both the primary match and the condition match.
Example: Flag answers to "Do you know anyone in law enforcement?" that contain "yes" — but only when the answer to "Would that affect your impartiality?" also contains "no."
Conditions let you create nuanced rules without flagging every respondent to a sensitive question.
Managing rules¶
Rules are listed in the Auto-Flags tab alongside all questionnaire questions. Questions with an active rule are highlighted. Select any question row to expand it — if a rule exists, the editor opens pre-filled for editing. Each rule shows:
- The question it targets
- The match criteria
- How many jurors it currently matches
- Any linked questions whose answers will appear alongside the flagged answer
Select ✎ Edit or ✕ Remove within the rule to modify or delete it. Rules are part of your case file and travel with the .jbinder file when you share it with co-counsel.
Jumping from a flag to its rule¶
In the Jurors view, auto-flagged answer cards display a selectable ▲ rule badge. Selecting it:
- Navigates to the Auto-Flags tab
- Scrolls to and highlights the rule that fired
This makes it easy to tune rules that are triggering too broadly without hunting for them manually.
Starter presets¶
New cases open the Auto-Flags tab with a Get Started card offering four read-only starter preset bundles:
- Baseline Cause Challenges (pre-checked, recommended for every case) — universal disqualifiers like prior felony convictions, inability to be fair and impartial, refusal to follow the court's instructions, language barriers, or extraordinary hardship.
- Criminal Defense — bad experience with law enforcement, pro-prosecution leanings, refusal to follow the presumption of innocence / right not to testify / reasonable-doubt standard.
- Civil Plaintiff — "too many lawsuits", capped awards, blames victims, anti-plaintiff leanings.
- Civil Defense — awards too low, anti-defendant leanings, personally affected by the industry at issue.
Tick one or more presets and select Apply Selected. Rules are added for any questions in your case that fuzzy-match one of the preset's concepts; the card reports how many rules landed and how many concepts found no matching question. You can still hand-edit every rule afterwards — the presets are a starting point, not a lock-in.
To carry rules between your own cases, use Export Rules / Import Rules on the Auto-Flags tab. Rules travel with the case file; they are never stored in your browser.
Auto-flags are read-only
Auto-flags reflect the current state of your rules. If you delete a rule, its flags disappear. Manual flags (set by selecting a cell) are independent of rules and persist regardless.