Peggy Lee Shores has been charged in Rutland County, Vermont with murdering her husband. The defense argues that David Shores killed himself. Relying on an expert opinion, the defense asked the court to dismiss the charge. The prosecution responded with the uncontroversial argument that conflicts in the evidence should be decided by the jury. The […]

Amber Cramer sued Bay Area Credit Service and certain other defendants for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). She relied on two expert witnesses to prove the violations. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri decided that, subject to certain limitations, the experts should be allowed to testify. Facts of the […]

The defense team in the trial of a man who has been charged with a murder and hate crime has filed a motion to bar the testimony of an expert on white supremacy. The Crime In May 2017,  U.S. Army Lt. Richard Collins III, a Bowie State University student, was visiting his friends at the […]

Cathy Truitt filed seven tax returns in 2009, each claiming her entitlement to a $300,000 refund. The IRS recognized that six of returns were fraudulent, but inexplicably issued the refund demanded by the seventh return. Within a week, the IRS recognized its error and demanded that Truitt return the money. By that time, Truitt had […]

Jeffrey Klingenberg fell as he was stepping from a roof onto a ladder. He sued Vulcan Ladder for manufacturing, and GP International for selling, a defective ladder. He also sued for breach of warranty, alleging that a label stating the ladder had a “working load” of 300 pounds created an express warranty. A jury rejected […]

About ten years ago, a Texas jury sentenced George Powell to 28 years in prison for an aggravated robbery. Texas allows defendants to elect whether the judge or jury will determine the sentence in noncapital cases. Powell’s conviction was affirmed on appeal. Powell’s conviction was based in part on a video of the convenience store […]

The firing and discrediting of a Hennepin County, Minnesota nurse who examined sexual assault victims and was a prosecution expert witness has prompted the independent review of all of the criminal cases she was involved in. Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) Nurse Jarvis Kristi J. Jarvis was a Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) nurse.  Jarvis […]

Experts, unlike fact witnesses, are sometimes allowed to testify about inadmissible hearsay if they relied on the hearsay to form an opinion. Whether or not they mention the hearsay in their testimony, the federal (and most state) rules of evidence prohibit experts from giving opinions that are based on hearsay unless experts in the field […]

Desirae Glatfelter confronted her boyfriend about her suspicion that he was having an affair. When he denied the accusation, Glatfelter became irate. Her boyfriend grabbed her in a “bear hug,” purportedly to calm her down. In the words of the court, he also “administered a French kiss.” Glatfelter objected to the “administration” of the kiss […]

An expert for Exxon Mobil Corporation has opined that the authorities’ claims that the company hid the financial risks of climate change are “a tad circular.” The Securities Fraud Trial New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a complaint against Exxon Mobil Corporation, alleging that Exxon intentionally misled investors about the way it planned for […]