Streamlining Case Management: A Closer Look at HELIOS by Utility™'s Tools for Attorneys

June 17, 2024 Digital Evidence Management, HELIOS by Utility™

Discover how HELIOS by Utility™ modernizes case management for prosecutors. This comprehensive platform standardizes evidence reception, integrates advanced transcription and translation tools, ensures robust security, and provides AI-driven redaction capabilities.

Enhancing Prosecutorial Efficiency with HELIOS

In the fast-paced and detail-oriented world of prosecution, managing case information efficiently and securely is paramount. HELIOS by Utility™ is an innovative platform designed to streamline case management for prosecutors, ensuring consistency, security, and accessibility of digital evidence. Let’s delve into the various ways HELIOS enhances prosecutorial efficiency. Learn how HELIOS streamlines workflows, maintains the integrity of digital evidence, and enhances collaboration through secure, permission-based sharing.

Standardizing Receipt of Case Information

One of the primary benefits of HELIOS is its ability to standardize how prosecutors receive case information from various agencies.

Traditionally, prosecutors have had to juggle paper files, thumb drives, CDs, and multiple emails, often leading to misplaced or missed information. HELIOS eliminates these issues by providing a secure and standardized way to receive digital evidence.

“With HELIOS, all evidence is securely stored in a cloud environment making authorized access available from anywhere at any time,” Susan Smith, Product Manager at Utility.

This consistency ensures that all evidence is easily accessible and securely stored in the cloud, making case backlogs manageable and potentially reducing them altogether.

Advanced Transcription and Translation Capabilities

HELIOS boasts powerful transcription and translation tools integrated into its redaction toolbox. The platform can detect the majority native language in a file and transcribe it, offering translations into a chosen language.

“HELIOS in-application transcription can occur in minutes,” Susan Smith, Product Manager at Utility.

This feature not only enhances accessibility but also makes the transcripts searchable and editable. All transcription activities are recorded in the file’s chain of custody log, providing a transparent and secure documentation process.

This capability significantly reduces time spent when preparing files for court and the costs associated, all while yielding faster turnaround of a court-ready file.

Robust Security Measures

Security is critical when handling sensitive case information. HELIOS™ addresses this by partnering with AWS for secure cloud-based data storage through CJIS-compliant GovCloud.

All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, ensuring the highest level of security.

“Our partnership with AWS ensures that our clients’ data is held in the highest security regard, with disaster recovery protocols for redundancy of data availability,” explains Susan Smith, Product Manager at Utility.

The platform also includes multi-factor authentication for user access, further safeguarding the data. These measures strengthen data integrity and security – giving greater trust and peace of mind for prosecutors.

Seamless Integration with POLARIS™ by Utility

HELIOS seamlessly integrates with Utility’s POLARIS™ platform, securely streamlining how prosecutors handle digital evidence..

“This integration allows for a cohesive workflow and improved data management, making it easier for prosecutors to handle complex cases and collaborate with other team members effectively,”  explains Susan Smith, Product Manager at Utility.

HELIOS and POLARIS provide a powerful combination that enhances prosecutorial efficiency through standardized digital evidence reception, secure storage, and easy accessibility. By eliminating reliance on outdated methods and ensuring consistency in evidence handling, this integration paves the way for a more effective prosecution process.

Secure Collaboration Through Permission-Based Sharing

HELIOS features a roles and permissions-based system for secure evidence sharing. Authorized users can share files and cases internally or externally during the discovery process.

Internal sharing can be tailored to individual users or groups, with the case owner determining the level of access. This includes view only, adding files, downloading content, or sharing capability.

External sharing is often used during the discovery process. This secure sharing capability provides view and download only access to disclosable case files. External recipient access is provided through an email notification with a secure link that requires the recipient to use multi-factor authentication to access the shared files. An access link expiration can also be set.

All sharing activities are meticulously tracked in the chain of custody logs, ensuring complete transparency and security.

AI-Driven Redaction Tools

HELIOS is able to perform redaction on a variety of file types.

The HELIOS digital evidence management platform leverages AI-driven tools for efficient redaction of videos. Tools such as face and object detection make redaction processes faster by allowing the system to go frame by frame to auto-detect what the user has requested.

These tools allow for quick and accurate redaction, protecting sensitive information and ensuring compliance with legal standards.

Redaction Features for HELIOS

With the editing features available within HELIOS, users have access to prepare evidence for court through a variety of tools for videos, audio files, images and documents.

AI-based tools include:

• Face Finder – Auto detect faces for AI-based to simplify redaction activity
• Object Detection – Auto-detects license plates, driver’s licenses, and guns in a video without manually searching through frames
• Blur – Face blur, Crowd Blur, and Video blur options to protect innocent bystanders
• Audio Redaction – Mute, Beep, and Incognito voice alteration options offer ways to redaction audio in both video and audio files
• Video/audio file duration adjustment
• Transcription/Translation – Transcribe a video or audio file in minutes. Translation available in over 70 languages
• Title screen can be added for video and audio files
• Watermark capability
• Manual and automatic object-tracking redaction

Document and Image Redaction tools include:

• Blur
• Crop
• Draw lines/Freestyle Draw/Draw box
• Add text
• Rotate/Enlarge images and documents
• Adjust brightness/contrast

Comprehensive Chain of Custody Tracking

At Utility we understand that maintaining the chain of custody is crucial for the integrity of evidence. HELIOS tracks all file, case, and system activities by users, providing robust audit logs that are viewable, filterable, and exportable.

This comprehensive tracking ensures that all interactions with the evidence are documented, offering peace of mind and upholding the integrity of the judicial process. The platform also tracks user activity within the system for additional insight to where users are spending their time.

Flexible Folder Structure for Complex Cases

HELIOS focuses on secure and efficient ways for platform use. HELIOS offers a flexible digital evidence folder structure, allowing prosecutors to organize files within cases. The customizable folder capability includes sub-level folders, enabling further refinement and management of complex cases.

Secure Cloud Storage and Data Retention Policies

Utility partners with AWS for secure cloud-based data storage through their CJIS compliant GovCloud. All data is held in an encrypted state both in transit and at rest with multi-factor authentication access.

Utility’s partnership with AWS also includes disaster recovery protocols for redundancy.

HELIOS allows clients to set their data retention policies, providing flexibility without restrictions on retention timeframes.

Efficient Share Group Management

The platform simplifies information sharing by enabling the creation of share groups. Departments or teams can have a share group that enables case/file sharing to be completed using pre-assigned users.

Bulk File Import Tool

The HELIOS bulk file uploading tool provides a simple way to place large amounts of digital evidence directly into a case. A simple drag-and-drop process moves files into a case – allowing the tool to move the data efficiently – freeing up user to perform other tasks while the system processes the request.