Screenzilla Assists DOJ in US v. AUO

After deliberating only two hours, the jury in the US v. AUO Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) price-fixing litigation brought a guilty verdict for the Department of Justice in Judge Susan Illston’s San Francisco Federal Courtroom. A key factor, according to Ted Brooks of Litigation-Tech was the DOJ’s decision to once-again utilize the game-changing massive exhibit display provided by Brooks’ company – the 12’ “Screenzilla” screen and projection system. Okay, maybe it wasn’t really a key factor for the verdict during deliberations, but it certainly does help to ensure that all jurors are able to see the evidence in the large District Court. A typical 7 or 8 foot screen would look like a postage stamp in comparison. The use of a large screen was certainly helpful, even though the courtroom is wired with small monitors in the jury box.

I (yes, that’s me in the picture) am 6’3”, if that helps put things in perspective a bit. While a screen this size won’t fit in many smaller courtrooms, it has certainly found a comfortable home in the USDC Northern District.

Regardless of the size or layout of your courtroom, it can be very helpful to set up a central point of focus for your evidence display, allowing everyone the opportunity to follow additional queues, such as a laser pointer. Counsel can then stand next to the screen, pointing and directing attention to a specific section of an exhibit, thus further emphasizing the point. Making sure that the equipment is properly suited for the courtroom and set up correctly can help give the appearance of a well-organized trial team. For more on this topic, also see Courtroom Projectors, Screens, and Monitors.