If you have never had to appear before the court as a plaintiff or a defendant, it can be pretty rough, especially when you’ve not been introduced to the intricacies of your case. Sure! Your attorney is highly recommended and knows the A-Z of law. However, you must note that it is your case, and you may have to spend a huge amount of money on trial. Hence, there is a need to garner important information and be on the lookout for perks that can get the case decided in your favor.
Well, the first thing to pay attention to is your evidence.
What are the pieces of evidence that can prove your case or stand as a defense against an accusation?
If there is, how complex is the evidence?
Would you need an extensive explanation to get the jury to comprehend it?
Would it include technicalities that are difficult for a layperson to comprehend?
Would you need a unique technique to get the message across to the jury fully?
If yes, you need to use animated crime scenes to clarify your evidence.
Successful Animated Crime Scenes in Court: Case Studies
Animated crime scenes have secured favorable rulings in court cases. Here are some cases depicting the incredible impact of animated crime scenes:
- Car accident: Mintun v. state
In this case, after a night of heavy drinking, three friends decided to go hunting. They decided to stop at a friend’s house, who persuaded them to cancel their plans because they were too intoxicated to hunt. One of the friends adhered. The remaining two, Mintun and Pennington, were adamant and went on the hunting trip. The car failed to negotiate a curve at some point, which led to a ghastly motor accident. Pennington died on the spot, and Mintun sustained grievous injury.
There were no witnesses at trial; therefore, the sergeant who had experience in accident reconstruction used the help of a physics professor to reconstruct the accident, thus discovering that Mintun had been the driver. Animated crime scenes were presented to this effect, and Mintun was found guilty of aggravated homicide.
- Murder: State v. Harvey
In the instant case, the defendant, a police officer, shot his wife in the laundry room and claimed it was self-defense. He claimed to have discovered that his wife was having an affair and when she was confronted, reached for a gun to kill him. As the children did not hear the shooting, there were no eyewitnesses. After the autopsy, it was discovered that the woman could not have been reaching for a gun with the angle at which she died. Animated crime scenes were presented to prove the defendant’s guilt. To this effect, the defendant was convicted of second-degree murder.
- Product Liability: Datskow v. Teledyne Continental Motors
This case sought to address product liability, negligent design, and failure to warn of a company. There was a crash of a private airplane that led to four people’s death. It was discovered that the engine of the aircraft had been defective. Since the accident was caused by the fire’s progression, which began in the airplane’s engine, an animated crime scene was used by a mechanical engineer to recreate what he believed to have been the cause of the accident. The defendants were declared guilty with the effective clarification of the animated crime scenes.
- Shaken Baby Syndrome: People v. Cauley
In this case, the defendant rushed his three-month-old daughter to the hospital. The baby was treated as a possible case of child abuse. She died six days later. The expert witness who testified in the case used animated crime scenes to depict her opinion of the cause of the baby’s injuries, which shook the infant. The defendant testified that he was lying on the bed with his daughter, got up while holding the daughter, and ran to pick up the phone. He tripped and fell, landing on his daughter. He was convicted of criminally negligent child abuse. A similar case of shaken baby syndrome where animated crime scenes were used is the case of People v. Yates.
With the foregoing, it is worthy of note that even in cases where there is no lead, animated crime scenes recreated by experts will cause significant help in deciding both criminal and civil law cases.
