Next Online Courtroom Testimony for Expert Witnesses Course: TBA, 2027
The online Courtroom Testimony for Expert Witnesses course has continually been a great success! We have had participants from across Canada and the US, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and New Zealand. The ability to learn from the instructor and from each other in this dynamic and informative course is unparalleled. The online...
Smartphone Video: Is Failure to Seize the Device Fatal to Admissibility?
Ideally, when witnesses record a video of an event on their smartphone, they would give their device to the police so that the video could be examined and exported in a forensically sound manner. What are the consequences when that does not occur? Are the police required to seize the smartphone that was...
2026 EURO LEVA Symposium
For those readers who are LEVA members or have attended LEVA training events, you will be aware that each year, LEVA holds a training symposium in the US. While that is helpful for North American attendees, it is rather far away for interested parties in Europe. LEVA has given the green light for...
Determining Vehicle Speed from a Video Recording
CCTV video is typically used to provide information about what occurred during a noted event and to assist in identifying people, vehicles, objects, etc. A less common but equally helpful use of CCTV video is to determine the speed of vehicles traveling through the field of view. This article summarizes the legal and...
Compilation Videos: Guidelines for Maximizing the Value of Multiple Camera Views
Opposing counsel frequently object to the use of compilation video presentations that have been prepared by video technicians and analysts. The stated reason for their objection is that such compilations are somehow improper or prejudicial to the interests of a fair trial but the real reason for most objections is that the compilations...
Lay Witness or Expert Witness? Who Decides and Why Does it Matter?
Once the forensic video analysis work has been completed and the report has been written, the analyst may be called to court to testify to the work undertaken. The question then arises as to whether this evidence should be led as expert evidence or lay testimony. Who decides this question and why does...
London Conference: The Application of AI Within Our Justice System
There is an excellent training opportunity being offered on April 26 at King’s College London. This event – The Application of AI Within Our Justice System – is being presented by the British Academy of Forensic Sciences, King’s Forensics, Inside Justice, and the King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence. There will be speakers from the House...
The Case for Restricting Comparison Opinion Evidence on Identification by Lay Witnesses
What is the scope for video technicians or analysts to offer their opinion on the identification of suspects observed in CCTV and other images based solely on their observation of such images and their subsequent comparison to known images of suspects? Should opinions on identification be allowed at all? If so, should there...
Next Online Courtroom Testimony for Expert Witnesses Course Announced: TBD
The online Courtroom Testimony for Expert Witnesses course has continually been a great success! We have had participants from across Canada and the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand. The ability to learn from the instructor and from each other in this dynamic and informative course is unparalleled. The online format has proven...
Authentication Via Circumstantial Evidence: A Case for Social Media Images
Can a screenshot of a single image from a cell phone video recorded by an unknown person located on an unidentified Facebook account where the video was deleted shortly after uploading be authenticated for use at trial? That was the question a trial court in Maryland (USA) and the appeal court needed to...