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The Center for Legal and Court Technology > CLCT Blog > Categories
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1/3/2010A newspaper from Kokomo, Indiana has reported that a wanted man from the area was tracked down using the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW) and successfully apprehended. The man was "wanted on charges of dealing in a schedule III controlled substance and dealing in a schedule IV controlled substance, and two charges of dealing in marijuana. A warrant was issued for his arrest in 2007." He managed to evade police by fleeing to Canada, but the police found out about his affinity for the WoW, and sent a subpoena to the California headquarters of Blizzard Entertainment, the company which develops and runs WoW. Given the jurisdictional issues (Indiana court and California company), the police did not expect Blizzard to respond. However, the company did respond with the suspect's "IP address, his account information and history, his billing address, and even his online screen name and preferred server." Using this information, police were able to determine his address in Canada, and arrange for his arrest and extradition. 12/1/2009A courtroom in Scotland used computer technology to give jurors on a murder trial a virtual walk through an apartment in which a teenage girl was engulfed in flames. The 360-degree panoramic photos were taken using a device called "Return to Scene" and stitched together via computer to create a Google Earth-style view of the inside and outside of the apartment. The tour, backed up by still photos, allowed the jury to see details of smoke and fire damage. More information is available at the STV website. A Canadian legal magazine suggests that for many attorneys dipping a toe into various forms of legal technology, it may well be a matter of sink or swim. The Lawyers Weekly makes a number of points we've discussed around the office CLCT lately, about the dangers of falling behind technologically, albeit a little more bluntly (favorite quote: "Is your computer just like a really large typewriter with a delete key?"). But the article also makes the point that simple, small steps towards a more technological law office can be more helpful than leaping in to the latest and greatest tech fad. Check it out at: http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&volume=29&number=27&article=5 11/3/2009In a press conference last week, the U.K.'s Lord Chief Justice suggested that the oral tradition of the courts may be outmoded for today's computer generation. He suggested that in as few as fifteen years' time, oral testimony might need to be replaced by information on a computer. “If a generation is going to arrive in the jury box that is totally unused to sitting and listening but is using technology to gain the information it needs to form a judgment, that changes the whole orality tradition with which we are familiar,” he said. He encouraged study of the issue before it starts to become a serious problem in the courts. "What we don’t want to have is what we sometimes do have — the acknowledgment of the crisis long after it’s in existence and then efforts to plaster over it." The Times Online has more information here: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6882947.ece?&EMC-Bltn=GYITNB10/27/2009In light of its budget crunch, an effort in California to install a centralized computer system in its state courts has come under heavy controversy. The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the project, once expected to be completed this year, is still many years away from state-wide implementation and is incurring costs that could approach $2 billion. Meanwhile, the state is closing state courts one day each month to help close the budget gap. It's causing many to ask whether the effort to upgrade the state's outdated technology in the interest of justice is appropriate in this financial crisis. Here's the story: http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/2279857.html 10/16/2009In intellectual property cases, jurors are charged with understanding nuances of increasingly complex technology to determine whether or not patents have been infringed. Unfortunately, in many cases jurors seem dazed and confused. In an article on Law.com, Douglas Malan of The Connecticut Law Tribune explores the problem, and illustrates how attorneys are using visual aids, including small-scale models and animated presentations, to simplify daunting technical concepts. Here's the story: http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1202434524817&Are_Technology_Patents_Lost_on_Jurors 10/14/2009
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor may bring valued experience dealing with technology- particularly as it relates to free speech and intellectual property- to the court.
Popular Science discusses how Sotomayor's experience dealing with "the intersection of advanced technology and copyright law" could benefit the Court:
America's first state, and the first state to establish electronic filing in all its courts, continues to innovate in legal technology. Law.com reported last week that Delaware has created the country's first technology inn as part of the American Inns of Court movement. The inn's first of what will be monthly meetings brought together about 45 judges, law professors, lawyers and law students. The meetings will seek to promote both technical knowledge of emerging technology and awareness of ethical issues, with a focus on the critical area of electronic discovery. For more information, click here: http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1202434167825&rss=ltn 9/29/2009The New York Times recently posted an article discussing how legal ethics can come in conflict with online social media: both lawyers and judges have faced penalties for information posted online. For more information, visit The New York Times. |
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