South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long has hired the firm of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP to defend the state in a lawsuit over the school-aid formula. Long described the case as countering education and schools expert witnesses from the parents and schools challenging the adequacy of the state-aid formula. “There…
Expert Witness Blog
Dogs Expert Witness Testifies In Military Court Trial
Ex-drill instructor Sgt. Jerrod Glass is standing trial in military court for allegedly hitting, slapping, and abusing dozens of recruits. Expert witness Gunnery Sgt. Rogerio De Leon, one of the depot’s most experienced drill instructors, testified that even “incentive training” has strict guidelines. The military expert witness said recruits in…
Expert Witnesses’ Crucial Role in Litigation #7
In Utilizing Experts In An Expert Way, Kelli Hinson and Tesa Hinkley describe the crucial role expert witnesses have at trial and give advice on how best to use them. In this excerpt, Hinson and Hinkley give tips on planning ahead when drafing confidentiality / protective orders. Confidentality / protective…
Toxicology Expert Witness Opines On Death of Ex-Pakistan Cricket Coach
Jamaican expert witness Fitzmore Coates testified Thursday at the inquest into the death of ex-Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer. Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious in his Kingston hotel room on March 18 and Coates, acting chief forensic officer at the Government Forensic Science Laboratory, said tests showed traces of the…
Pulmonary Medicine Expert Witness Persuasive in Black Lung Appeal
On Wednesday the US Court of Appeals 4th District ruled against a West Virginia coal company with a yearly capacity of one million tons in Sewell Coal Company v. Gerald Triplett, 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 25921. Triplett had been awarded black lung benefits in 2006 by the Benefits Review Board…
Oceanography Expert Witnesses Plead For Marine Sanctuaries
Eight marine science expert witnesses were called to testify before the Congressional Subcommittee hearing at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The expert witnesses spoke before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans at a field hearing that was the first of several the subcommittee expects to hold in various parts…
Expert Witnesses’ Crucial Role in Litigation #6
In Utilizing Experts In An Expert Way, Kelli Hinson and Tesa Hinkley describe the crucial role expert witnesses have at trial and give advice on how best to use them. In this excerpt, Hinson and Hinkley give tips on how to agree with opposing parties on what is discoverable. Judicial…
Jury or Trial Research As Crucial As Expert Witnesses?
In All Things Jury: Jury research as standard practice? R. Robert Samples discusses due diligence and preparation as the the most important responsibility that counsel owes to his or her client. Samples writes: Law firms don’t hesitate to bring in an expert witness if they believe their testimony is crucial…
Forensics & Laboratory Expert Witness On Mack Trial
Darren Mack has pled guilty to the stabbing death of his estranged wife, Charla, on June 12, 2006. He agreed to an Alford plea concerning the intent-to-kill portion of the attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon in the sniper shooting of his divorce judge. Victor Ruvalcaba, a forensics…
Technology Expert Witness Speaks at House Committee on Science and Technology
Vicki Colvin, executive director of the International Council on Nanotechnology, told the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology Wednesday that nanotechnology holds great promise for the future of cancer therapy and water treatment. Colvin, also director of Rice University’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, said however, that concerns…