Illinois Courts’ Treatment of Google Earth Images as Admissible Evidence

In a recent ruling, the Illinois Appellate Court examined the admissibility of Google Earth images as evidence in the case of Ory v. City of Naperville. The plaintiff, who suffered a fall due to a sidewalk defect, sought to use these images to support her claims of negligence. However, the court found the images inadmissible, citing a lack of proper authentication and insufficient evidence of the city’s knowledge of the defect. This decision highlights the challenges of using digital imagery in legal proceedings and raises important questions about the standards for admissible evidence.