Скриншоти з сюжету телеканалу WPLG Local 10
It seems like for the first time in history, VR technology was used as evidence in court.
The case under consideration involved the owner of a wedding venue in Florida—Miguel Albisu, who was accused of assault and threatening guests with a weapon at a party. The defendant claimed that his actions were provoked by a prior attack on his wife, who suffered a wrist injury—thus, the court ultimately had to decide whether Albisu’s threats were a form of self-defense.
The lawyers took the case pretty seriously and ordered a VR simulation of the incident for the Oculus Quest 2, while the judge graciously allowed this scene to be presented in court as evidence.
“We put headsets on the judge, prosecutors, and a witness, and each one could see the events through my client’s eyes, what he faced when he was surrounded by drunk party guests,” said lawyer Ken Padowitz in a comment to the local media (via Gizmodo). “He was grabbed and he felt that he had to reach for a weapon to protect his life and property.”
Local10 broadcasted a video from the courtroom live, so now anyone interested can view the recording.
Padowitz says that this is the first time in the history of American courts that virtual reality has been used as evidence at a trial. He also noted that this is not his first time turning to modern technology in cases—way back in 1992, as a prosecutor in the homicide department, he presented the first computer animation as evidence at a trial.
“This was one of the first precedents in the United States confirming the use of computer animation in a criminal case. Since then, we have evolved to virtual reality,” says Padowitz.