Expert Testimony in the Curtis Lovelace Murder Trial

Expert Witness Testimony

Curtis Lovelace was arrested in August 2014 for the murder of Cory Lovelace on Valentine’s Day in 2006. His first trial ended in a hung jury. After hearing testimony from 24 prosecution witnesses and 8 defense witnesses, the jury in his second trial returned a not guilty verdict in Lovelace’s favor. Expert witnesses played a […]

Court Excludes Expert Testimony Linking Insulation to Disease

spray polyurethane foam

Richard and Monica Beyer sued Anchor Insulation after Anchor insulated their home with spray polyurethane foam (SPF). The Beyers alleged that the SPF was a defective product. A federal judge in the District of Connecticut agreed to admit expert testimony that the SPF was defective and improperly installed, but did not allow the Beyers’ expert […]

AAP Revises Standards for Pediatric Expert Testimony

Little sad boy hugging mom

Professional associations often create standards governing the conduct of their members, including guidelines for testifying as an expert. Sometimes the guidelines appear to be based on the concern that an expert might testify against other members of the same profession in a lawsuit that alleges professional malpractice. Guidelines should never discourage experts from giving honest […]

Florida Supreme Court Rejects Daubert Rule

Florida Supreme Court

The Florida Supreme Court has rejected a legislative attempt to impose the Daubert standard of expert witness admissibility on Florida courts. As ExpertPages earlier reported, the Florida Bar’s Board of Governors asked the Florida Supreme Court to set aside a legislative attempt to force the state’s judiciary to use the Daubert standard when deciding whether […]

Colorado Supreme Court Rejects Expert Testimony Given by Lay Witnesses

Colorado State Flag

Two recent decisions of the Colorado Supreme Court addressed whether a witness should be allowed to testify about issues that require specialized knowledge when the witness has not been qualified as an expert. The cases discuss the difference between a lay opinion, which people with no special training or experience can reliably provide, and an […]

Joey Watkins Seeks New Trial Based on Juror’s Investigation of Expert Evidence

US Georgia State Law Legal System Concept

Undisclosed is a podcast that investigates wrongful convictions. Its second season focused on Joey Watkins, who was convicted of felony murder in Georgia and sentenced to life in prison. Watkins’ conviction has also been investigated by the Georgia Innocence Project, which is seeking a new trial on Watkins’ behalf. The petition for a new trial […]

Expert Witness Convinces Court that “Superfly” is Incompetent to Stand Trial

Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka

Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, a retired professional wrestler, will not face a trial for causing the death of his mistress in 1983. Accepting expert testimony offered by the defense, the court agreed that the 73-year-old Snuka is not competent to stand trial. The court therefore dismissed the charges. Allegations of Murder A native of Fiji, Snuka […]