can i download text messages from icloud?

The first thing you should do is discuss this with your attorney. If you mishandle or print things in the wrong way, they might not be admissible.

If you need a printout of your messages, I recommend applications such as PhoneView (Mac) or TouchCopy (Mac or Windows). Both will allow you to archive your messages as either PDFs or text files, either of which is easy to print or email.

Hi cmarae21,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We understand that you'd like to download your iMessages for court, and are happy to provide some guidance.

Messages cannot be downloaded from iCloud. Messages in Cloud just puts a copy on all devices using the Apple ID.

You could take screenshots and print them. Here is how:

Take a screenshot on your iPhone

Use AirPrint to print from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Cheers!