Expert Witness Blog

James Earl Edmiston, who fraudulently testified he was a computer expert witness, has recently pleaded guilty to federal perjury charges. Federal agents arrested Edmiston in September, 2006 after they became suspicious of the qualifications listed on his curriculum vitae. For example, Edmiston had featured degrees from the California Institute of Technology and the UCLA. It was revealed that these schools didn't offer the degrees Edmiston had listed.

According to California's Fresno Bee, Edmiston's downfall came after he was retained by Fresno attorneys to work on two child pornography cases. Local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents involved in the cases noticed some inaccuracies on his résumé, and further checks found alleged multiple false statements. It was also revealed that Edmiston served time in prison for forgery.

Edmiston could receive up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine when he is sentenced July 13 by U.S. District Judge Lawrence O'Neill.

It is not clear sure how many cases Edmiston worked on as an expert witness, or what will be the fate of those cases.