Pa. Judge Bars Use of Zoom Depicting Plaintiffs’ Family Members During Opening, Closing Arguments

SCRANTON, Pa. — A Pennsylvania judge has refused to allow plaintiffs’ counsel in a medical malpractice action to present plaintiffs’ family members to appear and be seen via Zoom during opening and closing statements, ruling that it would violate the rule that opening statements and closing arguments are not part of the evidence.

In a Dec. 31 order, Judge Terrence R. Nealon of the Lackawanna County (Pa.) Court of Common Pleas explained that plaintiffs may call their family members as witnesses at trial, or seek to present a video documenting plaintiff’s alleged inability to communicate with his family due to …