Nebraska Judge Weighs Qualifications of Police Investigation Expert

expert on police interrogation

A judge in a lawsuit against Gage County, Nebraska must determine if an expert witness’s testimony is sufficiently supported by scientific study before trial can begin. As reported by the Beatrice Daily Sun, the civil trial brought against Gage County by the so-called “Beatrice 6” – six people exonerated after wrongful convictions for a 1985 […]

Expert Witness Report Dismissed for Lack of Scientific Support

Brain Expert

In a Pennsylvania products liability case, an expert witness report and testimony has been disallowed by the judge because the expert failed to cite proper scientific authority to support his conclusions. According to law360.com, plaintiff Anne Snizavich hired expert Dr. Thomas Milby to show that exposure to air condition units gave her husband fatal brain […]

Expert Witness Standards Changing Across America

Expert Witness Standards

Before a court can accept the report or testimony of an expert witness, the judge must determine that the expert is qualified to offer his opinion.  In 1923, the Federal Court in the District of Columbia determined in Frye v United States that in order for an expert witness to testify, he must demonstrate that […]

Who Owns Andy Warhol’s Painting of Farrah Fawcett?

art expert

A contentious legal battle over possession of a famous Andy Warhol painting of actress Farrah Fawcett featured an expert witness appraiser to determine the value of the work. The University of Texas filed a lawsuit against Fawcett’s on-again off-again lover, actor Ryan O’Neal for possession of the painting which currently hangs in O’Neal’s Malibu home. […]

Psychology Expert Witness Questions Children’s Memories of Abuse

Psychology Expert

In a story reported by lehighvalleylive.com, an expert witness in Washington Township, NJ faced a pretrial qualification hearing to determine if he could take the stand as a defense expert witness in a criminal trial over alleged child abuse. Elliot Atkins, a forensic psychology expert witness, who was also a defense expert in the Jerry […]

Chicago Area County Will Pay for Indigent Defendant’s DNA Expert Witness

government assistance for indigent defendants

Will County, located just outside of Chicago, has paid $3,800 for an indigent defendant’s expert witness in a double murder case.  According to news source, Shorewood Patch, Will County Judge Gerald Kinney agreed with attorneys representing Bethany McKee that the defendant qualified for assistance in paying for her expert witness. Mckee, age 19, and three of […]

Expert Witness Testimony the Centerpiece of Trial Against Juvenile Detention Centers

juvenile prison expert

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit civil rights organization, has filed a lawsuit against Polk County, Florida for treatment of juveniles in detention centers.  As reported by The Ledger, the Southern Poverty Law attorneys presented key testimony from a nationally recognized expert on juvenile justice who criticized Polk County prison for conditions conducive to […]

Law Professor Plagiarizes Wikipedia for Expert Witness Report

Expert Report

When parties hire an expert witness in preparation for trial, the expert will typically compile a report that analyzes the facts of the case and the relevant law.  An expert witness report is used by judges and litigating parties to help understand the issues surrounding the case, and often provides the basis for expert witness […]

Pay Your Expert If You Want Supporting Testimony

Expert Payment

When challenging the IRS over the value of a Decedent’s share of an LLC, trustees of the Estate smartly used a valuation expert witness, only to fall short because they failed to submit payment necessary for the expert to testify at trial.  In a story from FMV Opinions, Inc. Lance Hall, the managing director of FMV […]