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(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Apr 18th 2002 11:17am





Using Computer Animation In Court

from the seems-questionable dept

Wired Magazine has an article about the growing trend to use computer animation to recreate certain events to show a judge and jury during a trial. My first reaction to this, honestly, is that it sounds like a terrible idea. Whichever side is making the video obviously can twist it to show whatever they want to show - which isn't necessarily based on fact. However, to people watching it - since it's there on the screen it will appear to be true. While I could see it being useful to explain a difficult to understand situation, recreating the entire alleged crime seems like it would be too easy to "tweak" the truth in favor of whichever side was using the animation.

3 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Yep

    identicon
    msykes, Apr 18th, 2002 @ 2:40pm

    I have to agree on this one. It's a nice idea in theory.... but could you really trust anybody to be impartial in the creation? Of course it might lead to a generation of hybrid lawyers/3D graphic designers (or just lawyers hiring them), as the prosecution and defense offer competing computer generated scenarios.

    Hmmm, heck, as long as each side got the same access to the same tools to generate their view, maybe it would be a good thing!

    msykes

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    I have to wonder...

    identicon
    Michael Armstrong, Apr 18th, 2002 @ 4:52pm

    if this is just the modern day version of diagrams and charts used in the courtroom.

    Think about it. You could do the same basic thing with a big diagram on a piece of illustration board. Exaggerate certain elements of the drawing in an attempt to sway the case your way. This really isn't much different, it just uses computers to do it instead of paper.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Re: I have to wonder...

    icon
    Mike (profile), Apr 18th, 2002 @ 6:01pm

    Yeah, but I think showing a computer animation seems more "real" than just showing a diagram. For some reason, if you can see the recreation, it just seems more plausible than someone describing the situation with a diagram.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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