Evidence for a criminal case can come from many different places. Witnesses could describe an individual, helping police officers narrow their search. There could be forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or blood that helps the police or prosecutors identify a specific person as a suspect.
Other times, it is security camera footage that makes up the bulk of the evidence in a criminal case. If the police officer who arrested you claimed that they had security camera footage of you or the prosecutor provided video footage to your attorney during the discovery process, you may feel like you have few options for defending yourself.
However, there are ways to raise questions about the accuracy or validity of security camera evidence.
Attempts to improve footage can compromise it
There are professionals out there who help businesses or law enforcement agencies enhance the security footage they want to use for a criminal case. There are numerous ways to enhance existing video footage.
Sometimes, professionals can increase the resolution or clarity of the images. Other times, they can determine someone’s height or the speed of a vehicle based on the individual frames of a video. The information they can extrapolate by enhancing the footage may play a major role in the prosecution.
Some of the processes used to make sense of video evidence in court can actually alter the evidence. Increasing the resolution on an image captured with a low-megapixel camera essentially involves extrapolating or guessing how to fill in some of those spaces.
Depending on how forensic specialists or investigators altered or manipulated security camera footage, you may be in a position to challenge their actions or present evidence from your own forensic specialist who raises questions about the accuracy of those enhancements.
Challenging evidence can help your defense
Finding ways to fight back against the evidence the state gathers against you can be one of the best ways to protect yourself against a criminal conviction.
By raising questions about the accuracy of video evidence, you can create enough of a reasonable doubt to avoid conviction. Sometimes, you can convince a judge to exclude certain evidence, which can certainly improve your chances of a successful defense.
Exploring all of the ways that you can defend against criminal charges can help you choose the solution most appropriate for your circumstances.