Articles Posted in Expert Witness Testimony

Child abuse expert witnesses are prepared to advise regarding child abuse and neglect, and the physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children. A child abuse expert will testify this week in the Saline County, KS, case against Troy Love. Love is accused of first degree murder and child abuse in the death of Bre’Elle Jefferson. Defense attorney Roger Struble, of Blackwell, Blackwell and Struble, says the expert will show that the child’s injuries were accidental.

Kansas 28th Judicial District information: http://www.kscourts.org/districts/District-Info.asp?d=28

DNA expert witness Dr. Mark W. Perlin testified in Beaver County, PA, in the 1979 cold case against Gregory Scott Hopkins. The murder case against Hopkins in the death of his girlfriend Catherine Janet Walsh was reopened due to modern DNA technology. Perlin testified regarding DNA evidence at the scene which connected Hopkins to her murder thirty years ago.

Dr. Perlin is CEO and Chief Scientific Officer at Cybergenetics, and the creator of the TrueAllele® technology. Cybergenetics interprets complex DNA evidence using computers to preserve information inherent in the data, and can extract identification information almost every time. DNA testing was originally developed as a method of determining paternity. It now plays a role in the criminal investigation process and is allowed in post-conviction DNA testing to exonerate those who may have been falsely sentenced.

Juvenile justice system expert witness Paul DeMuro testified in a Polk County, FL, federal trial over the constitutional rights of juveniles at the Polk County jail and the conditions under which they are held. Representing the Southern Poverty Law Center in a class action suit, DeMuro described conditions at the jail, including the use of pepper spray and inadequate supervision. A security camera captured a young detainee being punched and kicked by fellow cellmates and then Polk County deputies spraying them with pepper spray.

Mr. DeMuro has over forty-one years experience working on juvenile justice and child welfare issues. He serves as a senior consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation and to the National Juvenile Detention Association.

Firearms expert witness Bryce Linskey testified in the Danbury, CT, murder trial of Robert Bell. Bell is accused in the shooting death of his wife Svetlana Bell in their home in December 2012. Mr. Linsky, now with the armed school security provider Direct Contact Solution LLC, is a retired sergeant with the Bristol Police Department and served in the United States Marine Corps. He testified on firearms, reaction times, and other details of the shooting.

Firearms expert witnesses may testify regarding ammunition, ballistics, firearms, firearms design, and related matters.

Attorney and accounting expert witness Michael Wagner testified last week in the lost profits case between Samsung and Apple. Apple is asking for $114M in lost profits over a touch screen feature. Yesterday Samsung asked Judge Lucy Koh to stop the retrial after the US PTO said an Apple patent might not be valid. The case is in jury deliberation. Samsung’s net sales in 2012 were $247.5B.

The US PTO offers Laws, Regulations, Policies & Procedures here: http://www.uspto.gov/patents/law/index.jsp

Arson detection expert witnesses will testify in the Gatesville, TX, murder trial of David K. Allen who is accused of killing his wife, Paula Allen. Fire investigators have already classified the mobile home fire as intentionally set. The former preacher’s trial has been delayed from November 2013 to February 2014. Chemical experts will perform laboratory analyses to determine whether an accelerant was used in the 2011 fire.

The current Mrs. Allen, 28, has been indicted for perjury in the case.

Chiropractic expert witness Dr. Steven S. White testified in the criminal sexual conduct case against Dr. George Young of Munising, MI. Eight patients and two employees have accused Young of inappropriate touching and/or sexual assault which took place in his chiropractic office. Young describes his actions as part of the chiropractic procedure while Dr. White testified that the defendant’s conduct was unnecessary and inappropriate. The Traverse City expert witness graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1972.

Fire expert witnesses may provide reports concerning arson detection, arson investigators standards of care, fire equipment, and fire origin and cause. Fire expert witnesses will testify in the Gatesville, TX, case against David K. Allen. Allen is charged with murder in the 2011 death of his wife Paula Allen. Fire investigators will testify as to whether the fire was intentionally set. Allen was charged in 2012 with using an accelerant to start the fire.

Veterinary expert witnesses may consult on livestock, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and diseases of animals, and related matters. Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Keeter testified last week in the Millard County, UT, Gunn Hill Dairy case as to whether dairy cows were being affected by stray voltage. Voltage exposure causes lower milk production and a higher death rate in dairy cows.

Keeter testified that milk production in Millard County dairy farms has dropped compared to the national average as well as in comparison to other dairy farms in Utah.

False Claims ACT expert witness Dr. Ronald H. Clark H testified in the Davenport, IA, legal malpractice case against attorney Michael Walker and his law firm Hopkins & Huebner, P.C. Walker is accused of committing malpractice in the False Claims Act case filed by former firefighter Timothy Schultheis. Dr. Clark accused the attorney of not filing motions to dismiss and heading into mediation without knowing the facts of the case. The city of Clinton paid Schultheis and the Department of Justice $4.5M in 2010. Walker is now accused of settling the 2010 lawsuit too quickly and for too much.

Dr. Clark has litigated FCA/Qui Tam cases as an assistant US attorney, a trial attorney and senior trial counsel at the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, and for 14 years as a defense counsel.

Text of 31 USC § 3729 – False claims: