00:00Technology has seeped into just about everything we do, and now it could become more involved
00:04with the way our country's judiciary works as well.
00:07When a witness takes the stand in a court case, they're sworn in before a jury, then
00:10sitting down next to the judge.
00:12However, in the future, those who testify might not even have to be in the room, replaced
00:16instead with this, a hologram of the witness.
00:19This video was captured during a mock trial with a real judge, featuring testimony from
00:24a hologram witness.
00:24And I see that the defendant has pulled up in front of me to lock my car so I can't
00:30go anywhere, and that she has also gotten out of the car and that she's charging at me with
00:35a break.
00:35Here's law professor Frederick Lederer to explain.
00:38In the legal system, we place a great deal of weight on what is called demeanor evidence.
00:43That means the ability of a judge or a juror to determine whether, for instance, a witness
00:49is telling the truth, in whole or in part.
00:51So this new holographic method provides jurors and judges with a better look at the witness
00:56versus, say, contemporary video conference methods.
00:59But there's one relatively large hurdle with regards to courts actually using this.
01:03The American Constitution includes the Confrontation Clause, where those being prosecuted have a
01:08right to confront their accusers, meaning facing a video hologram of an accuser might not legally
01:13suffice.
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