Expert witnesses play a vital role in court. In civil cases. Plaintiffs and defendants both rely upon expert witnesses to persuade jurors that a defendant was or was not liable for alleged wrongdoing. Experts also play a key role in helping jurors assess the damages that should be paid to a plaintiff when a defendant […]

The Michigan Supreme Court recently decided two consolidated cases in which an expert witness was deemed to have vouched for the credibility of a child who reported a sexual assault. One case, discussed here, addressed a social worker who testified that children “overwhelmingly” do not lie about being sexually abused. The other, discussed in a […]

Law enforcement agencies expect that the legalization of cannabis in Illinois will provide additional work for police officers who testify as drug recognition experts. Legalization of Cannabis in Illinois On January 1, 2020, the state of Illinois legalized the purchase of cannabis for recreational use.  Under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705), […]

The new trial of a man who was previously convicted of five counts of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years in prison may be the test for how Florida courts apply the recently adopted Daubert standard. The Crash On April 13, 2013, a then-21-year-old Jabari Kemp, was behind the wheel of a Mercedes sports […]

Philip Petrone and other named plaintiffs brought a class action lawsuit against Werner Enterprises and Drivers Management. The class consisted of student truck drivers who alleged violations of state and federal wage laws. Specifically, the student drivers argued that they were entitled to unpaid wages for time that they spent on short rest breaks and […]

A DNA expert has offered “likelihood ratio” testimony in the trial of two co-defendants who are on trial for leading police officers on a high-speed chase through downtown Cheyenne while shooting guns. The Chase On May 3, 2019, Chasity Jacobs and Dominique Childers were arrested following a high-speed chase and shootout that took place in […]

As ExpertPages has reported, courts in Michigan, New York, Ohio, and other states have recognized that unsound expert testimony has placed innocent defendants at risk of conviction for shaking babies. In response to growing awareness that innocent people have been imprisoned because experts assured juries that evidence of abuse was undeniable, the American Academy of […]

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 […]