Expert Witness Qualifications and Testimony

Abstract

Expert testimony continues to play an important role in the twenty-first century. However, an expert's scientific findings, no matter how important, have no real meaning in law until they are presented to the judge or jury. This article will first examine the admissibility of scientific evidence under the United States Supreme Court precedent and the Federal Rules of Evidence. The article will next address experts’ qualifications and how they project credibility and expertise, through those qualifications, to a judge or jury. Finally, the article will examine how jurors perceive expert witnesses, and how those perceptions have changed over time.