A federal judge has ordered a third trial in a lawsuit by a woman who blamed Merck & Co.’s painkiller Vioxx for the heart attack that killed her husband. U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon ruled that the cardiology expert witness who testified for Merck misrepresented his qualifications in the second…
Expert Witness Blog
Expert Witness Testifies in Conrad Black Fraud Trial
Former media baron Conrad Black and other former executives of Hollinger International are charged with defrauding the company of $84 million through non-competition payments. Last week the prosecution focused on charges against Black alone regarding obstruction of justice and his opulent New York apartment. Federal prosecutor Edward Sisko brought in…
Organized Crime Expert Witness to Testify in Mob Family Trial
Organized crime expert witness and former FBI agent James Wagner will be allowed to testify at the trial of several alleged mob figures accused of taking part in a conspiracy that included 18 murders. U.S. District Judge James Zagel said expert witness Wagner can discuss how the so-called Chicago Outfit…
Redistricting Expert Witness Speaks to California Assembly
Tim Storey of the National Conference of State Legislatures will be the lead expert witness at the California Assembly Elections Committee hearings on redistricting. The NCSL is a bipartisan group representing all 50 state legislatures. Storey, an expert witness on redistricting, is a senior fellow with NCSL and has authored…
Expert Witness Testimony is Topic at Symposium
Justice T. David Little of the Ontario Superior Court spoke at the Advocates’ Society 2007 Spring Symposium in Toronto regarding expert witnesses. Justice Little said that expert witnesses are there to assist the court with issues that it may not understand. “Tell the expert before they get on the stand,…
Citizens’ Landfill Expert Witnesses Prevail
Yorkville, IL residents called their own expert witnesses to fight landfill developer Fox Moraine LLC’s plan for a landfill on the city’s southwest side. Fox Moraine argued that properties near the facility would suffer no serious harm. After hearings, Yorkwille aldermen voted 7 to 1 against the plan. Aldermen Golinski…
Expert Henry Lee May Have Removed Evidence in Spector Case
The judge in Phil Spector’s murder trial ruled that forensic scientist expert witness Henry Lee removed something from the scene where actress Lana Clarkson was shot and withheld it from the prosecution. Lee has previously testified in the high profile cases of O.J. Simpson, William Kennedy Smith, Kobe Bryant, JonBenet…
Expert Witness Prohibited From Using Shaken Baby Syndrome Designation
Judge Elizabeth Thomakos will allow no child abuse expert witness to use the term Shaken Baby Syndrome in the Marsha Mills murder trial, beginning next week in New Philadelphia. According to the TimesReporter.com: Thomakos explained the expert witnesses presented by the prosecution will not be permitted to give an opinion…
Expert Witness Testimony Subject to Frye-Reed hearing
The Maryland Supreme Court agreed with the Court of Appeals unanimous decision that a Frye-Reed hearing is necessary to determine the validity of expert witness testimony in the case of Josephine Chesson, et al. v. Montgomery Mutual Insurance Company. The plaintiffs, employees of Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist…
Expert Witness Testifies in Voting-rights Trial
Lisa Handley, political scientist statistics expert witness for the federal government, testified in the 2007 Port Chester mayoral election voting-rights trial. Handley said: She is very confident that the village election system dilutes the Hispanic vote and testified that there is an overall pattern of racially polarized voting in the…