Despite being around for many years, VR headsets usually stay within the gaming circle. According to Local 10, this technology showed up in a courtroom in Florida when Judge Andrew Siegel wore one so he could view a virtual reality experience presented as evidence. The defense team requested an artist to design a 3d reenactment that displayed the incident in detail. The experience intended to show the defendant’s point of view as a group of people cornered him. The judge isn’t the only one donning an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset; several other people, including Defense Expert Bill Engler, also wore the device.
Miguel Rodriguez Albisu allegedly pulled a gun on guests at Cielo Farms after they refused to leave his private venue in 2023. In the court documents, he said he wanted the wedding done by 10:30 PM, but the guests insisted they wanted to stay until 11:00 PM. Some guests recorded the man pulling out the weapon and yelling, “Get out!”
Defense Attorney Ken Padowitz said the VR reenactment would allow the judge to see the event through his client’s eyes. He wanted the judge to give Albisu immunity under Florida’s stand-your-ground law. This law allows property owners to use guns to defend themselves, their family, and their property in self-defense.
This criminal hearing was believed to be the first to use VR as evidence, and it would likely not be the last. Legal analyst David Weinstein said this would likely encourage legal scholars to study it. Padowitz also hopes they can still use the VR demonstration if this case becomes a jury trial.
While VR usually puts players into fictional settings and scenes, this criminal hearing shows another potential for VR headsets. Watching a video and seeing a virtual reality simulation is very different. Many people can attest that VR can make an experience feel more personal. We will likely see VR headsets used more often in courtrooms as attorneys try their best to put judges and juries in their client’s shoes.
