Using visual aids often allows the expert or other parties to communicate more effectively with the judge and jury. The opportunity and necessity for this type of courtroom technology should be evaluated for each case.

Presentation software can:

• Enable the court and jury to better retain visual information.
• Engage the audience in technical or factual details.
• Create a more persuasive and effective argument.
• Graphically depict concepts such as non-exclusion and statistical error in DNA cases.

Visual technology and displays can create:

• Illustrations of scientific results.
• Schematics of mechanical evidence.
• Diagrams of crime scenes.
• Medical models of procedures or physiological injuries.

The court must grant permission for these types of demonstrative aids to be used in the courtroom.

For more on visual aids and their use and opportunities, see Importance of Case Preparation, Topic 10: Visual and Demonstrative Aids.