Prior to Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, the courts allowed scientists to play gatekeeper by deciding what was good science–permissible in the courtroom–and what wasn’t. However, in 1993, the Supreme Court ruled in Daubert that judges and not scientists should not be the ultimate arbiters of the quality of science.…
This first myth is only true if you, as an expert witness, do not want to get retained. Out of sight is out of mind and, for the expert witness, out of work. Being an expert witness necessarily means that you market yourself. When the attorney hires an expert, he…
The New York Press Republican reported that expert witness testimony was allowed from a handwriting expert regarding disguised writing samples: A prosecution expert witness testified Thursday that accused murderer Edward Dashnaw tried to disguise his handwriting in samples given to police. Dashnaw is charged with the December 2005 stabbing deaths…
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Times Leader reported that a federal court will allow an immigration expert witness to testify in case involving the Hazelton Pennsylvania Illegal Immigration Relief Act. As stated in the news report: The trial, which begins on Monday, will determine the constitutionality of the city’s Illegal Immigration Relief…
“Honesty is the best policy” is a cliche, but it is the most important element in the attorney-consultant relationship. It is much better to reveal a shortcoming to retaining counsel than to try to bury the facts. With the variety of online tools available, even the most casual of legal…
The story of the ballistics expert who killed himself after being confronted with evidence that he had lied about his credentials illustrates the importance of researching experts before they are retained. Licensing information can be found online and is easily searched to verify the currently-held licenses claimed by an expert.…
The Baltimore Sun reports that police procedures expert Jospeph Kopera killed himself after being confronted with evidence that he had lied about his credentials. This revelation could force new trials for some of the hundreds of people he helped convict. As reported in the Baltimore Sun: Joseph Kopera, head of…
The attorneys and marketing staff of the JurisPro Expert Witness Directory have launched the ExpertWitnessBlog. This blog will focus on information pertinent to attorneys, consultants, and other legal professionals concerning expert witness subjects. These topics will include expert witness marketing, news about experts, Daubert challenges, expert witness testimony, and upcoming…