The Importance of an Expert Witness

Toxicology Student Submissions March 23, 2015 Forensic Toxicology

Article overview: This article explains The Importance of an Expert Witness and the scientific, legal or practical evidence readers should understand.

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How An Expert Witnesses Can Help You In a court of law, with any case that needs to be or must be tried, the judge and jury can be swayed by the testimony of an expert witness. Expert witnesses are priceless in terms of the testimony they provide as other means of proving your client’s innocence can often lead to failure. Modern science can and has failed before especially if the prosecutor’s office is gunning for your client as the perfect fall guy (or girl). An expert witness is your main line of defense for your client, you cannot afford to use just any witness in a court of law because you could end up doing more harm than good for your client’s case. What or who is an expert witness: This is someone who has either studied a specific field beyond the levels of common experience that can aid you in proving the facts of a case, which you wouldn’t be able to prove otherwise. You can have professionals who do not have a degree but their background and life experiences make them qualified to speak on the topic. Simple reasons why an expert witness is important to building and winning your case: 1. They have worked in comparable cases

In jury trials, they often help portray the facts in a clear concise manner that is understandable to the jury. Sometimes, proving things for more complicated cases, such as toxicology reports, the jury can get lost in the jargon but a knowledgeable witness who has trial experience will know how to interpret it and make it understandable for both the judge and jury.

2. If you want to settle, they can help you attain your objective

If the definitive goal is to gain a just and realistic settlement instead of dragging the case through who knows how many years of complex court proceedings, an expert witness will provide the knowledge necessary for the case and often this is enough to sway the other party – allowing for a settlement arrangement.

3. Regardless of which side hires them, an expert witness can help both sides

Defense and prosecuting teams are both able to benefit from the testimony of an expert, as they make the facts more clear, concise and understandable.

4. They offer an easy to understand but professional insight into the case

Expert witnesses are able to explain the intricate jargon of his or her professional field in an understandable, concise manner without bias or emotion. They can ensure that their specialist insight drawn from past cases and their ability to comprehend and explain the more complicated aspects of the case makes them invaluable to any legal proceedings.

However, as with the good there is also the customary warning that you should never let your expert witness advocate for the case, that is the attorney’s job. If your expert does this they will lose all reliability as they show bias in favor of your client – this bias could destroy your chances of winning your case or even a settlement out of court.

What makes expert testimony useful

An expert witness adds value only when the opinion is method-based, understandable and tied to the actual disputed issue. Credentials alone do not rescue weak assumptions, unsupported conclusions or testimony that outruns the underlying science.

Continue with related expert-witness analysis.