Criminal Justice

Driver ticketed for Google Glass acquitted, but 'the fun is just starting,' legal expert says

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A California driver ticketed for driving while wearing Google Glass has been acquitted at trial. But that doesn’t necessarily mean others who wish to utilize the computerized recording device behind the wheel should breathe a sigh of relief.

A San Diego County traffic court commissioner said it wasn’t proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Cecelia Abadie had activated the Google Glass device, which looks like a partial set of high-tech spectacles, rather than simply wearing it. However, his interpretation of the law isn’t binding on other courts, the Associated Press reports.

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A man wearing Google Glass. Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

“The fun is just starting,” said Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at Stanford Law School who predicts that judges will be called upon to rule in many such cases.

Abadie’s lawyer, William Concidine, said it would be helpful if lawmakers amended statutes to clarify that such technology, unanticipated when the laws were drafted, is legal.

See also:

ABA Journal: “Google Glass brings out the technophobes—and the lawyers”

ABAJournal.com: “Driver ticketed for wearing Google Glass behind wheel”

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