In her Trial magazine article “A New View with Google Earth,” Attorney Alexandra Hamilton discussed one of the most underutilized tools in litigation – Google Earth Pro, including how to use the free program in case preparation, at depositions or at trial as demonstrations or exhibits to help witnesses, the judge and jurors visualize a scene.
Google Earth Pro allows you to investigate a scene without even leaving your office, which can eliminate unnecessary travel, saving money and time. You can take accurate measurements of the area. “If some time has passed since the incident, you can use the historical imaging feature to view the site’s condition at or near the time of the incident, as well as how the site and its features have changed over time,” added Hamilton.