Opinion ID: 2196733
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: grevlos' computer animation

Text: Grevlos offered a computer generated video animation to illustrate his accident reconstruction expert's testimony. The exhibit consisted of four components. Two video components were offered to show what Grevlos saw and what Grevlos would have seen if Sommervold would have had a light on his bicycle. One video component was offered to show that Sommervold should have seen Grevlos. The animation component was offered to illustrate Grevlos' expert's testimony. SDCL 19-17-1(9) requires the proponent of computer generated evidence to describe the system and show that the program produced an accurate result. Then the animation must be relevant, probative and nearly identical. State v. Jenkins, supra, 260 N.W.2d at 511. The animation must fairly and accurately reflect the oral testimony of the witness and be an aid to the jury in understanding the issues. People v. McHugh, 124 Misc.2d 559, 476 N.Y.S.2d 721, 723 (N.Y.1984). The animation is not similar enough to be admissible. The animation assumes that both bicycles were travelling 25 miles per hour but the evidence varied from 28 to 40 miles per hour. The animation also depicted the light from a streetlight cast clearly in a circle rather than diffused in an ellipse as shown by the evidence. The animation showed the wrong location (off center and west of the actual location) and the injuries to the riders were inaccurately depicted as being left side to left side when they were actually right side to right side [9] . The trial court found that the exhibit added nothing to the testimony and would be more prejudicial than probative because a video recreation of an accident ... becomes in the nature of testimony and it stands out in the jury's mind. So it emphasizes that evidence substantially over ... ordinary ... spoken testimony. A judicial mind could reasonably reach this conclusion. Therefore, the trial court exercised proper discretion in excluding the computer generated video animation.