Unfortunately for attorneys, the people making up a jury pool typically know nothing about jury trials except what they’ve seen in television or movies. Shows like Law and Order and Matlock give the impression that trials are full of intense cross-examinations, damning evidence, and emotional outbursts. (We’re looking at you A Few Good Men.) As any trial attorney knows, the reality of a trial is often far less dramatic and entertaining. Witness testimony, in particular, can be dull, confusing, and hard to follow. Legal video depositions are one of the tools in an attorney’s arsenal that can keep jurors engaged with a witness’ testimony and boost juror comprehension and retention.
How do Legal Video Depositions Engage Jurors?
- Deliver information in a familiar format – Due to our increasing use of technology, the modern juror’s attention span is less than that of a goldfish. We are used to flipping quickly between apps or rapidly scrolling through pages and feeds to find the information we need. The majority of people now get their news from the Internet, with the next largest group relying on television. As a result, jurors are accustomed to processing information that is presented in a digital format.
- Dynamic presentations – In keeping with the previous point, a legal video deposition must offer more than just a static video to keep jurors engaged. At Precise, we use picture-in-picture (PIP) technology to display exhibits and witness interaction simultaneously. The exhibit is displayed on the screen as the witness interacts with it via a telestrator, allowing jurors to clearly see what the witness is referencing in their testimony. This adds another level of interest to hold jurors’ attention while deepening their understanding of the testimony.
- Combine legal video depositions with live testimony – Perhaps the most powerful use of legal video deposition is to impeach a witness should they change their testimony at trial. Seeing a witness contradict themselves on video has a far greater impact than simply reading a written transcript of their testimony back to them. You can also use video deposition clips when cross-examining another witness, as opposed to simply reading the deponent’s statement to them.
- Bolster your closing arguments – Closing arguments are your last chance to cement your case in jurors’ minds. You can play clips of crucial testimony during your closing argument, ensuring this critical information will be fresh in jurors’ minds as they go to deliberations.
- Refresh jurors’ memories during deliberations – Legal video depositions allow jurors to vividly review expert and key witness testimony during deliberations. Rather than reading the court transcript and trying to visualize the testimony, the jury can view the deposition again with full clarity.
Expert Legal Video Depositions from Precise
With Precise’s legal video services, you can have peace of mind in the courtroom. Our courtroom presentation experts provide and run all the equipment necessary to show your legal video depositions. We also offer rapid editing, editing videos on the fly in response to objections, preventing unnecessary delays. For top of the line legal video depositions, call Precise today: 866-277-3247.
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