In Ten Ways to Torpedo Your Expert, Dr. Joni Johnston, President and CEO of Work Relationships, gives strategy on how to avoid “torpedoing” your expert witness.
Strategy #1A: Avoid bias. Don’t use a misguided bias in selecting the expert. Dr. Johnson describes one of the most common biases in expert witness selection is “the belief that the most impressiviely credentialed expert is alwsays the best witness. In reality, the ivory tower academic who looks good on paper can windup boring the jury to tears. Or worse, come across as arrogant or unfeeling.” She describes a psychiatry expert witness who infuriated the jury by dissecting a distraught plaintiff. The expert’s unfeeling demeanor resulted in actually harming the defense.
Strategy #1B- 10 to follow.