The Attorney General immediately requested that Pedro Collor hand over his videotaped evidence.

He therefore ruled that Reagan should testify, but rejected a request that he should appear in person, and instead allowed him to give videotaped evidence.

Ms. Munier used videotaped evidence of an instance of abuse in which a woman attempted to smother her child.

Without videotaped evidence, investigators say their work is far more difficult, requiring extensive help from medical workers.

But he said that in the face of videotaped evidence, a higher percentage of those charged with crimes in the central business district are pleading guilty.

"I think that jurors are quite properly skeptical if confessions are introduced and there isn't videotaped evidence," he said.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 19-20, 2007 following an earlier hearing on November 6 concerning videotaped evidence.

Although videotaping has been allowed for 20 years, some lawyers say videotaped evidence lacks the impact of live witnesses.

Only when videotaped evidence all but confirmed it did Rojas concede that the flare did not hit him.

The measure was passed despite videotaped evidence that members of the assembly were bribed by drug traffickers who feared stiffer penalties in the United States.