Technology on Trial: Facilitative and Prejudicial Effects of Computer-Generated Animations on Jurors' Legal Judgments

The recent emergence of electronic courtrooms (i.e., courtrooms that are equipped with advanced digital technologies) has generated novel ways to present evidence to jurors. Computer-generated animations, which recreate or illustrate the alleged sequence of events in a crime, are increasingly being used by lawyers to present testimonial evidence to jurors. The current study used a 3 (modality: oral vs. static visual vs. animation) x 2 (congruence: incongruent vs. congruent) between-subjects design to investigate whether presentation modality and evidence congruence affect jurors’ ability to properly evaluate evidence and render ‘accurate’ verdicts. In a laboratory setting, mock jurors (N = 238) read a transcript from a fictitious second-degree murder trial. Participants read testimony from eight witnesses, and heard the oral testimony of the defendant with a static visual aid, a computer-generated animation, or no visual aid. Results demonstrated that mock jurors were more likely to acquit the defendant when his testimony was illustrated with a computer-generated animation compared to a static visual aid or with no additional aid. Research in this area can inform the development of evidentiary regulations which adequately govern the admissibility of computer-generated animations in the courtroom, so as ensure that they are used in a way that maintains a defendant’s right to a fair trial. Keywords: computer-generated evidence, computer animations, legal decision-making, information processing, electronic courtrooms