People v. Douglas

Opinion by JUDGE BERNARD

¶ 1 In our increasingly computerized world, attorneys often present video depictions of events at trial to explain how those events occurred. This appeal involves the question whether three video depictions were admissible in a criminal trial. To answer this question, we must decide whether the videos were "animations" or "simulations," which are two terms of art.

¶ 2 As a general matter, an animation is based on information that an expert has gathered and the opinions that the expert has reached based on that information. The animation then depicts the expert's opinion…