Here’s why juries view crime scenes like the Murdaugh estate where Maggie, Paul were killed

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jurors in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial will get to see for themselves the rural hunting estate where his wife and son were killed, following in the footsteps of other juries that have viewed crime scenes in cases that captured the nation’s attention.

Crime scene visits by juries are relatively rare but have occurred in a number of other high-profile prosecutions, including the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson and last year’s trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz.

Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina attorney, is accused of killing his wife and son at dog kennels near their home on June 7, 2021, as his career and finances were crumbling. Murdaugh has denied any role in the fatal shootings.

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Here’s a look at the practice of having juries view crime scenes and some other notable cases:

What happens when a jury visits a crime scene?

In a criminal trial, both the defense and the prosecution can request that juries view a crime scene and it’s generally up to the judge to decide whether to approve it. In many cases, it doesn’t happen because the trial is taking place years later, so the scene has changed and taking jurors there could provide a false impression of what happened.

In some cases, however, crime scene visits can be useful to give jurors a sense of distance or other physical features that don’t come across in photos and other evidence presented in court, said Steven Benjamin, a Richmond, Virginia, defense attorney who is not involved in the Murdaugh case.

“It permits a 3D appreciation for what has otherwise been a two-dimensional presentation in court,” said Benjamin, a past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

When jurors are taken to the scene of a crime, they are generally advised not to share their thoughts with one another because deliberations don’t begin until both sides are done presenting…