ROCHESTER, N.Y. – What happened in the Tan trial, with jurors allowed to visit a crime scene, doesn’t happen often.

It has taken place in a handful of high profile murder cases. The O.J. Simposon murder trial of the mid 90’s was one of them. Jurors don’t often visit crime scenes here in Monroe County, but it has happened.

“It’s pretty rare that that happens,” veteran attorney Ken Hyland said.

Hyland says jurors in the Charles Tan murder trial did take part in that rare happening, when they visited the murder scene Monday.

Hyland believes with video and pictures, technicians document a crime scene thoroughly.

“It’s just unnecessary to go,” Hyland said. “But sometimes, in a unique situation, going to the actual scene might help a jury understand the testimony better.”

In his 30 years as a prosecutor, and seven in private practice, Hyland’s only seen it happen once. A 1997 murder trial of a Rochester man.

“In my case it was the defense that asked,” Hyland said. “This was kind of an interesting case. This guy Aguedo Chaves comes in the door and just starts shooting.

The murder took place six years earlier, and Hyland says the jury’s visit was quick and the local media hardly noticed.

A year earlier, in another murder trial, the jury’s visit did influence the outcome of a murder case.

Charles Stanley stood trial for the killing of Monte Cole. The deadlocked jury asked to visit the crime scene, but when they did, two jurors, against the judge’s orders, discussed and attempted to re-enact the case.

They convicted Stanley, but on appeal, citing the jurors actions, a high court overturned the conviction.

Hyland says in his case, he knew the risks of letting jurors visit a scene, versus keeping them in the more controlled environment of a courtroom.

“I know there would be a problem if we started getting into pointing things out or commenting or whatever,” Hyland said. “I just wanted to get in and out of there.”

Media coverage, just like in the Tan case, was a concern in the O.J. Simpson murder as well. The judge in that case kept the media far away, even banning helicopters from flying anywhere near the spot where the killings took place.