Playing Courtroom Video in Trial
Video cameras in the courtroom are a growing trend here in Tennessee. I am referring not to TV crews, but closed circuit cameras recording an entire trial. The Davidson County Circuit courtrooms have cameras set up to record witness testimony, even in the courts' temporary Metro Center home. At the end of each day in the trial, lawyers can purchase CD-roms of the videos.
An article over at Law.com looks at lawyers using trial video during closing argument. This is hard work. Any attorney who has worked closely with clipping a videotaped deposition knows how time-consuming it is. Now magnify by the stress of a lengthy trial, and fit it in your schedule to pick out clips during your "free hours" in the middle of trial. You also need a great deal of pre-trial planning, in terms of having staff available to get the videos loaded onto your computer, clipped, reviewed by a knowledgeable attorney, and ready to play back at trial. The result, though, can be extremely worthwhile.
We have used trial video of witnesses in cases, and been very happy with the results. Just like a videotaped deposition versus reading a transcript, a picture is worth a thousand words.