JudgeFinder app privacy policy

Short version

• The app has no account, no sign-in, no purchases and no advertising.
• The app has no analytics, advertising or tracking software, and it does not track you across other companies' apps or websites. It does not ask for your location, contacts, photos, microphone, camera or notifications.
• To show you judges, the app sends requests to the JudgeFinder server. They include what you search for and which judge you open, and, as with any internet request, your IP address.
• Saved judges and downloaded records stay on your device until you delete them.

What the app stores on your device

• Saved judges. When you tap Save judge, the app keeps a copy of that judge's public profile fields in its local settings storage. Remove saved judge deletes it.
• Downloaded records. The app keeps copies of public responses it received (directory pages, search results, profiles and case records) so it can show them offline. Each copy is stored under the address that was requested, so a copy of a search includes the name you searched for. The app keeps up to 60 copies, each with the date it was saved, and replaces the oldest first. It does not delete them by date. The system also keeps a standard web cache for the app. Clear downloaded records in the Saved tab removes both. Saved judges are not removed.
• Deleting the app deletes everything the app stored. The app sends none of it anywhere.

What the app sends to the server

The app talks to one server, judgefinder.vercel.app, over an encrypted connection. It sends:

• The name you type when you search, and the page number.
• The judge identifier or profile name when you open a profile or its recent case records.
• The page number when you browse the directory.
• What every internet request carries: your device's IP address, the app name and version, and your iOS version.

The app does not send your name, email address, phone number, advertising identifier, device identifier or location. The server may answer with a small cookie (a random security token for the website's forms, valid for 24 hours). The app does not use it and it is not linked to an account or to who you are. Deleting the app removes it.

How the server handles those requests

• Rate limiting. Directory browsing and name searches are limited to 60 requests a minute per IP address to prevent abuse. The address is the counter key in a rate-limiting service (Upstash) and expires with the one-minute limit window.
• Short-lived cache. The same service briefly keeps the answer to each directory page or search so repeat requests are fast. The key includes the search text. Search answers are kept for 2 minutes and directory pages for 10 minutes.
• Server logs. The directory route writes a log line for each request that includes the search text, without special characters. It does not write your IP address. When a request fails, the error log can include the full request address, which includes the search text, and the judge identifier or profile name.
• Hosting. Our hosting provider, Vercel, receives every request and keeps its standard request and function logs, which can include the IP address, the requested address with its search text, and the time. Vercel documents 1 day of runtime log retention on the plan we use (Pro), and up to 30 days if its paid Observability Plus option is turned on. We have not found a longer log setting in our code, and we do not export these logs. See the Vercel privacy policy.
• Error reports. Server errors and warnings are sent to an error-tracking server that we run ourselves (GlitchTip), not to a third-party service. A report can include the requested address, which can contain search text, and standard request details. It carries no account or advertising identifier. Request timings are sent as well, and the server keeps only totals by route from them. Reports are deleted after 90 days.
• Profile lookups can add a timing record to our database that stores how long the lookup took. It does not store the profile name, search text or IP address.
• There are no accounts, so requests are not tied to a user profile.

We do not sell this information, use it for advertising, track you across other companies' apps or websites, or share it with data brokers. It is used to run the app, prevent abuse and fix errors.

Where the records come from

Profiles and case records come from CourtListener, a project of Free Law Project, and related public court records. JudgeFinder is not affiliated with CourtListener, Free Law Project, any court or any government agency. When you tap About CourtListener or Open case source, your browser opens that site. It has its own privacy policy. The app does not show web pages inside itself.

Links and sharing

• Share profile opens the iOS share sheet. What happens next depends on the app you choose.
• Open on JudgeFinder website opens the website in your browser. The website policy applies there.
• Report a problem with this profile opens the JudgeFinder support page in your browser. Nothing is filled in or sent for you. To report a problem, email tanner@meshvault.ai yourself. If you do, we receive your email address and what you write, and we use it only to look into the report and reply. Support emails stay in our mailbox until we delete them. Ask us to delete yours at any time. Do not include private case or client information.

Children

The app is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from them. It has no account and asks for no personal details.

Your choices

• Delete downloaded records: Saved tab, Clear downloaded records.
• Delete a saved judge: open the profile and tap Remove saved judge.
• Delete everything the app stores on your device: delete the app.
• Ask us to delete an email you sent to support, or ask any privacy question: tanner@meshvault.ai.

Not legal advice

The app shows public court record metadata for research. It is not legal advice, a ruling analysis or a prediction.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, the new version will be posted at this address with a new effective date. Contact: tanner@meshvault.ai. Help with the app is on the support page.