Medical toxicology expert witness Dr. Gary Dawson testified in the Provo, UT, murder trial of Martin MacNeill. MacNeill is accused of giving his wife five drugs including Valium which caused her death in 2007. Pharmacist Dawson described drugs found in Michele MacNeill’s body and how they are processed in the body. The prosecution contends that MacNeill killed his wife in order to continue an affair with Gypsy Willis while the defense says Mrs. MacNeill died due to a hear condition.
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In Brain Injury and Concussion, neurology expert witness Dr. Richard A. Rubenstein writes:
A small percentage of concussed patients do not recover as expected. Why? Signs of pathology on imaging studies may be the answer (complicated concussion). Especially troublesome are those claimants with no loss of consciousness, a Glasgow Coma Scale Score (GCS) of 15, and little or no post-traumatic amnesia. New research may offer an answer. A small subset of claimants with MRI or CT evidence of abnormality maybe a window into brain function and sequelae of a blow to the head. This cutting edge article offers an explanation for both memory and executive function impairment after a complicated mild traumatic brain injury.
In this observational study, the clinical relevance of abnormal findings on early brain imaging after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is demonstrated. This study shows that abnormal imaging in the acute state determines prognosis in a subset of patients with prolonged symptoms after concussion (complicated concussion).
Carnival rides expert witnesses may consult on carnival ride maintenance, amusement park safety, and carnival ride accidents. A ride new to the North Carolina State Fair malfunctioned Thursday night and injured five people. The Vortex began running as riders were exiting the carnival ride and some people were thrown to the ground. North Carolina Labor Department ride inspection chief Tom Chambers says his department is reviewing a safety switch that malfunctioned earlier in the week. Mechanical equipment and the operation of the ride will be investigated.
On her website FAQ document examination expert witness Emily J. Will, D-BFDE, answers the question:
Q. Can a document examiner work with photocopies of questioned documents?
A. This question must be answered on a case by case basis. If the copy is of good quality, and if there is enough information in the writing to allow an opinion, a copy can be sufficient. But there are some situations where the opinion rests on a subtle aspect of the writing that might only be visible on an original viewed under the microscope. In such situations, examination of the original is critical. Often the examiner’s opinion must be qualified due to limitations on the examination process due to submission of non-original documents.
In his blog Witness Perspective Photography, photography expert witness George Reis, principal at Imaging Forensics, writes:
What did the witness to a crime see from 40 feet away at 3:00 a.m.? What did the driver see when approaching the intersection at sunset? What could the injured party see in the movie theater before tripping on a stair?
Witness perspective photography involves returning to the scene under similar lighting conditions, observing the scene, and photographically recording it so that the trier of fact can see the lighting conditions, perspective, size of objects, etc. from the witness’ point of view. As the photographer, I document, in detail, what I can can see – how much detail there is, what objects are too dark to discern, which are too light, etc.Then I photograph the scene to represent what I could see. I make prints that represent what I was able to see at the scene, under the given lighting conditions, using the proper focal length, print size, and print viewing distance so that the viewer will see all objects at the same size, brightness, contrast, and color as I did when at the scene.
High speed rail transit expert witnesses may consult on railroad grade crossings, bullet trains, and railroad operating practices. Construction has begun on the high speed train connecting northern and southern California. $10B was approved by voters but recent projections put the price at $68B. In addition, the economic downturn has resulted in new plans that include the bullet trains sharing tracks and having to reduce speed. Even Quentin Kopp, past chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, has dropped support for the project. The BART advocate and former California senator describes the project as “no longer a genuine high speed rail system.”
Fire expert witnesses may provide reports concerning arson detection, arson investigators standards of care, fire equipment, and fire origin and cause. Fire expert witnesses will testify in the Gatesville, TX, case against David K. Allen. Allen is charged with murder in the 2011 death of his wife Paula Allen. Fire investigators will testify as to whether the fire was intentionally set. Allen was charged in 2012 with using an accelerant to start the fire.
Veterinary expert witnesses may consult on livestock, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and diseases of animals, and related matters. Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Keeter testified last week in the Millard County, UT, Gunn Hill Dairy case as to whether dairy cows were being affected by stray voltage. Voltage exposure causes lower milk production and a higher death rate in dairy cows.
Keeter testified that milk production in Millard County dairy farms has dropped compared to the national average as well as in comparison to other dairy farms in Utah.
Railroad expert witnesses may give opinions regarding railroad accident investigation, train wrecks, railroad safety, and railroad operating practices. Canadian National Railway Co. rail cars carrying propane and oil derailed Saturday near Edmonton while on their way from Vancouver. The Canadian Department of Transportation has issued new regulations this week which on the importing or transporting of crude oil.
The Canadian DOT offers information on rail investigations,including the 9/11/13 Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, accident on their website: http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/rail/index.aspforcing the evacuation of a small town.
Accident reconstruction expert witnesses may advise regarding collision analysis, crash worthiness, traffic accident reconstruction, and injury reconstruction issues. Middlesex County, NJ, authorities are investigating a fatal automobile accident that has been classified as a suicide-homicide. A 15 year old driver crossed over into oncoming traffic and killed two passengers in a second car. An eye witness said the driver was speeding and authorities report a lack of skid marks which indicate he did not try to stop.
