Introduction—Effective Expert Testimony

Abstract

Abstract This symposium was organized, with the help of several academicians who have served as professors of Speech and related Communication Departments at Universities in and around Los Angeles, for a panel discussion held there during the 33rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 17–20 Feb. 1981. Serving as moderator under the sponsorship of the AAFS's Odontology Section, the topic of “Effective Expert Testimony” was considered in the following sequence, related to various aspects of court communications: (1) the expert witness and the use of videotape recordings; (2) the role of nonverbal communication in the course of expert testimony; (3) the nature of jury response to the expert witness; (4) the major components of source credibility of the expert witness; and, as a kind of concluding verbal “autopsy” (S) discussion of the legal dimensions and practical court experiences pertinent to effective testimony. Within AAFS the practical applications of forensic sciences have been encouraged by multidisciplinary cooperation, joint sessions, and so forth. Similarly, the basic contribution by academicians within the University family offers promise of a return in forensic science research and education. Not only does that apply to interdisciplinary participation by Schools of Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Public Health, and Social Sciences, but also by academic Campus Divisions dealing with the Humanities, including such Departments as Communication and Speech, as illustrated by the present Symposium on Effective Expert Testimony.