The Virtual Trial Project is a collaboration of Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), UNC ITS Teaching and Learning, UNC Law Information Technology, and the UNC Broun National Trial Team.  The goal of the project is to conduct a mock trial using virtual technology, so that some participants are interacting locally in a room in real life with other participants who are interacting from a remote location and represented in the courtroom virtually.  As far as we know, this will be the world’s first virtual mock trial.

Schedule:

1) Visit the Virtual Courtroom

Date: Aug 27, 2009 from 10am-noon

Location: UNC ITS Manning, 112 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

Who: Litigation Counsel and Witnesses

     Meet at 9:30am at UNC Law School, we’ll walk from there.

     Please bring your laptop.

2) Dress Rehearsal

Date: Friday 9/18/2009 from 1pm-5pm

Location: Social Computing Room, UNC ITS Manning, 112 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

Online Location:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/UNC%20CH/125/87/36/?title=UNC%20Virtual%20Trial%20Project 

Who:  Counsel, Witnesses, Judge, Jury

• 1pm-1:30pm Opening Statements by prosecution/defense
• 1:30pm-1:45pm Microphone sound check of jury members
• 1:45pm-2pm Jury visits jury deliberation room; jury excused.
• 2pm-4pm Direct and Cross Examinations of Witnesses
• 4pm-4:30pm  Closing statements
• 4:30-5pm  Wrap-up

Notes:

• Josh Coyle to take B-roll video footage of Dress Rehearsal

3) Trial

Date: Friday 9/25/2009 from 1pm-6pm

Location: Social Computing Room, UNC ITS Manning, 112 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

Online location: http://slurl.com/secondlife/UNC%20CH/125/87/36/?title=UNC%20Virtual%20Trial%20Project

Who: Everyone 

• 12pm-1pm Interviews of participants by local media
• 1pm-1:30pm Opening Statements by prosecution/defense
• 2pm-4pm Direct and Cross Examinations of Witnesses
• 4pm-4:30pm  Closing statements
• 4:30 -5:30pm Jury deliberation
• 5:30pm Jury announces verdict
• 5:30-6pm Q&A

Notes:

• Local media may watch the trial in progress from ITS Manning tele-immersion room
• A link to B-roll footage taken during the dress rehearsal will be available on this page.

Introduction to Second Life:

• Getting Started
• SecondLife QuickStart Guide 

Install SecondLife:

• http://www.secondlife.com   (Click “Get Started”).

Visit the UNC Virtual Courtroom:

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/UNC%20CH/125/87/36/?title=UNC%20Virtual%20Trial%20Project   (Click, “teleport now”).

Visit the Jury Deliberation Room:

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/UNC%20CH/111/91/32/?title=UNC%20Virtual%20Trial%20Project   (Click, “teleport now”).

Directions to the ITS Manning Social Computing Room

• Map
• Directions 
• Parking:  Visitors can park in the UNC Hospitals Dogwood Parking Deck, located across Manning Drive from UNC Hospitals, for $1.50/hour.

For the Litigators/Witnesses/Judge:

• Trial Packet
• Openings, Directs, Crosses, and Closings
  • Prosecution materials from Kris Gould
• Prosecution materials from Bryan Byerly
• Prosecution materials from PJ Puryear
• Defense materials from Brian Soja
• Defense materials from PJ Puryear
• Defense materials from Jason Murphy

For the jury: 

• Install SecondLife (Click “Get Started”).
• Getting Started
• SecondLife QuickStart Guide 
• In order to minimize echo during jury deliberations, jurors are encouraged to use a headset with a microphone.  A PC headset may be purchased from stores such as Walmart, Target, or Best Buy.

For the Media:

• RENCI Press Release
• UNC School of Law Press Release
• B-Roll Footage by Josh Coyle

• Virtual Trial Interview Q&A (9/1/2009)

Trial Team:

  Judge:

    Richard Myers

  Prosecution:

    Lauren Felter      Counsel

    Badar Tareen      Counsel

  Defense:

    Mary Martin        Counsel

    Tristan Routh      Counsel

  Witnesses:

    Kris Gould          Prosecution Witness (Chris Jensen)

    Bryan Byerly       Prosecution Witness (Kim Little)

    Charlotte Hall      Defense Witness (Denny Sheppard)

    PJ Puryear          Defendant/Defense Witness (Micah Victor) 

  Coaches:

    PJ Puryear           Defense Coach

    Bryan Byerly        Prosecution Coach