Forensic Video Expert Witness Testifies in Murder Trial

A forensic video analyst served as a crime scene expert witness in a murder trial this week in an effort to aid defense attorneys reconstructing the circumstances leading up to a deadly shooting incident. Grant Fredericks, a teacher at the FBI National Academy, took the stand as an expert witness in the murder trial of […]

Police Tactics Expert Witnesses Testifies During Cop Criminal Trial

A police tactics expert witness testified at the trial of an officer accused of excessive and unnecessary use of force in the death a 95-year-old man during a nursing home incident.  The incident taking place in a Chicago suburb gained national attention in 2013, and the resulting criminal trial featured expert police testimony this week […]

Federal Court Rejects Asbestos Expert Witness Testimony

A federal court in Chicago dismissed expert witness testimony in an asbestos lawsuit last month due to insufficient scientific support for the “Any Exposure” theory relied upon by the expert. The “Any Exposure” theory, discussed among asbestos and medical experts, argues that any level of asbestos exposure, no matter how minute, could cause long term […]

Vehicular Manslaughter Trial Turns to DNA Expert Witnesses

A vehicular homicide trial in Fayette County, Georgia featured DNA expert witness testimony focused on determining whether or not the Defendant was behind the wheel at the time of a fatal one-car accident. Serene Richter, 46, stands accused of causing the accident while under the influence of alcohol, but has disputed the prosecution’s ability to […]

Spanish Soap Opera Copyright Trial Features Expert Witnesses

A federal judge in Florida will hear competing expert witnesses explain the finer points of Spanish telenovelas in a copyright legal battle between two Spanish-language TV networks.  Telenovelas, a popular Spanish-language day-time drama similar to American soap operas, are at the center of a lawsuit between Latele Television, C.A. and Telemundo Communications Group, and Miami […]

10th Circuit Dismisses ADA Claim for Lack of Expert Witness

Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit because the plaintiff failed to provide an expert witness connecting a diagnosed medical impairment to the harm she allegedly suffered.  In its decision, the 10th Circuit clarifies the standard for proving a medical condition in an ADA […]

Iowa Supreme Court Overturns Child Abuse Convictions Due to Expert Testimony

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Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of Iowa issued a ruling in three recent appeals of child sex abuse convictions that limited the extent of permissible expert witness testimony during trial.  According to the Iowa justices, sexual abuse expert witnesses can explain the symptoms of sex abuse to jurors but are not permitted to opine […]

Car Accident Reconstruction Expert Faces Aggressive Challenge from Prosecutor

A vehicular manslaughter trial in Ithaca, New York turned heated last week when the lead prosecutor accused the defendant’s car accident expert witness of being a “mercenary” willing to testify to anything for money.  While every expert witness testifying at trial does so for money, the contentious back-and-forth highlighted concerns that some experts prioritize financial […]

Expert Opinion on Probable Cause in Michael Brown and Eric Garner Deaths

The recent deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York have alerted us to the concept of probable cause and how it is used by grand juries to reach a decision as to whether or not a crime was committed. In the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, the […]

Inmate’s Family Sues Ohio Expert Witness over Botched Execution

Family members of an Ohio inmate executed by the state have sued a lethal injection expert witness for failing to recognize that the controversial two-drug technique would cause suffering.  Claiming that the expert helped create an inmate execution policy that he knew would be painful, the plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation for its use in […]