See how Bob goes !
“Ok, we are on the record. Please proceed. Counsel?”
The balding, stern-faced judge stares down at me from his bench, framed by flags to either side of him, a judicial seal on the wall behind him.
I look to my left and see the jury box, filled with six jurors, all men, one Black, some motionless, others appearing to nod or fidget.
The courtroom feels cavernous. Light streams in from windows on one side. I realize I am at a podium, on which a small mic is mounted. On either side of me are counsel tables, but with no one sitting at them, sheets of paper and a bottle of water the only signs of their use. I turn fully around and see that all the courtroom’s church-like benches are empty.
It is just the judge, the jury and me.
And my hands. The seem so big. I reach with them to grab the sides of the podium, but they move through it, unable to physically engage. Probably for the better, as I was told long ago never to hold the podium like a crutch.
“May it please the court,” I begin. “Honorable members of the jury. We are here today …”
As I speak, some members of the jury seem to be nodding, as if in acknowledgement of what I am saying, but others seem not to move at all. None of them seem to be looking at me, more like just past me. The judge nods, but it looks like a nod of impatience, not of listening.
I gesture with my hands, but their size makes me self-conscious. I try to walk away from the podium, but when I move too far, a cage of red laser lights appears and prevents me from moving any farther.
That’s it, I think, and I point to and click on a giant hovering button that says Stop Record.
Now I click Play, and as if in an out-of-body experience, I find myself standing next to myself, the avatar-me at a podium, his hands moving awkwardly, his head turning this way and that as if trying to get his bearings.
More about how he gets on virtually at
Trying Out My Trial Skills In A New Virtual Reality Courtroom
