A prudent lawyer would be wise to examine the issues of relevance, authentication and identification, substantive admissibility, and expert witness testimony in relation to computer-generated evidence, as the rules and laws in this arena are still being written. 9 Second, the possibilities for virtual evidence pose several intriguing questions that arise from basic concerns for fairness, cost, and accessibility. 10 Third, lawyers must remain mindful that although legal technology products can be alluring, they should be used simply as tools in the implementation of a solution and not as the solution itself. 11 Technology is only a tool, and not a case strategy in the courtroom. In the light of the technological tools on the market, computer graphics are most accessible and affordable, and they are likely to provide the litigator with the most uses.
Graphics software allows the litigator to create effective charts, graphs, and diagrams.
In the courtroom, these can be presented either on traditional foam boards or projected from a notebook computer using the visual presenters that are discussed below. Charts, graphs, diagrams and illustrations are ideal for the advocate in simplifying statistical data, illustrating trends, or diagramming a complicated locale. Further, meshing visual aids with oral testimony or closing arguments will increase juror attention and recollection. Using computer graphics to create in-house visual demonstrations also has the added benefit of flexibility. Computer-generated graphs and charts often can be modified quickly.