The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled that Ohio Circuit Judge Arthur Recht improperly excluded neurosurgery expert witness Peter Sheptak in a trial over a car crash. The decision means Sheptak can to testify for Lambert Jones II, whose Ford Probe rear ended a Lincoln driven by George…
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals recently held that although a medical expert witness does not use the medical tools alleged to have caused harm does not mean he or she may not testify to the standard of care needed while using them. The court found the fact that…
The murder trial of Wilson Santiago could cause Ohio to reconsider its controversial rule forbidding defendants from seeing all of the state’s evidence against them. Santiago is accused in the 2006 shooting death of Cleveland Detective Jonathan “A.J.” Schroeder. Defense lawyers want the police reports in order for sanity/trial competency…
South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long has hired the firm of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP to defend the state in a lawsuit over the school-aid formula. Long described the case as countering education and schools expert witnesses from the parents and schools challenging the adequacy of the state-aid formula. “There…
Ex-drill instructor Sgt. Jerrod Glass is standing trial in military court for allegedly hitting, slapping, and abusing dozens of recruits. Expert witness Gunnery Sgt. Rogerio De Leon, one of the depot’s most experienced drill instructors, testified that even “incentive training” has strict guidelines. The military expert witness said recruits in…
In Utilizing Experts In An Expert Way, Kelli Hinson and Tesa Hinkley describe the crucial role expert witnesses have at trial and give advice on how best to use them. In this excerpt, Hinson and Hinkley give tips on planning ahead when drafing confidentiality / protective orders. Confidentality / protective…
Jamaican expert witness Fitzmore Coates testified Thursday at the inquest into the death of ex-Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer. Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious in his Kingston hotel room on March 18 and Coates, acting chief forensic officer at the Government Forensic Science Laboratory, said tests showed traces of the…
On Wednesday the US Court of Appeals 4th District ruled against a West Virginia coal company with a yearly capacity of one million tons in Sewell Coal Company v. Gerald Triplett, 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 25921. Triplett had been awarded black lung benefits in 2006 by the Benefits Review Board…
Eight marine science expert witnesses were called to testify before the Congressional Subcommittee hearing at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. The expert witnesses spoke before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans at a field hearing that was the first of several the subcommittee expects to hold in various parts…
Darren Mack has pled guilty to the stabbing death of his estranged wife, Charla, on June 12, 2006. He agreed to an Alford plea concerning the intent-to-kill portion of the attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon in the sniper shooting of his divorce judge. Victor Ruvalcaba, a forensics…