Articles Posted in Expert Witness Testimony

Jodi Arias’ defense expert witness Richard M. Samuels has testified that Arias suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and dissociative amnesia. Arias is on trial for the murder of her boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2008. Dr. Samuels, Ph.D., FACCS, ABPP, is a practicing clinical and forensic psychologist in Scottsdale, AZ. He testified that that the 2008 event was so traumatic for Arias that she cannot remember details.

According to the Grand Lake News, accident reconstruction expert witness Stan Andrews testified in the criminal case against Roger Shane Carroll. Mr. Andrews testified for the state of Oklahoma that Carroll was the driver in a boating accident that killed 39 year old Monte Price. Excessive speed and alcohol use were involved in the fatal crash. Mr. Andrews leads the accident reconstruction team at the The Engineering Institute in Farmington, AR.

Engineering expert witness Richard Heenan testified last week before U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier that British Petroleum and Transocean Ltd. officials mishandles safety tests on the Deepwater Horizon. Pressure tests were misread before the rig exploded and killed eleven people. Heenan is with Canadian Engineering Petroleum, Inc., and has supervised projects both onshore and offshore.

Bloomberg reports more: www.bloomberg.com.

Geology expert witness Andrew Hurst testified that British Petroleum drilled the Deepwater Horizon well in an area weakened by a 2006 earthquake. The expert described the ocean floor as likely weakened by the earthquake and says there is evidence BP knew about the earthquake at the start of drilling. Professor Hurst is Chair of Production Geoscience, University of Aberdeen. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier will decide if BP acted with gross negligence.

More info: http://news.yahoo.com/expert-bp-drilled-area-hit-220714979.html;_ylt=AwrNUbDDSzZRuRUAcazQtDMD.

An ophthalmology expert testified in the manslaughter case against singer Randy Blythe. The heavy metal band vocalist is charged with pushing a fan off the stage in 2010. The 19 year old concert goer died of head injuries. The expert described the Lamb of God singer as vision impaired.

An occupational medicine expert witness has testified in the Los Angeles County Superior Court hip implant case against the DePuy Companies. DePuy provides orthopedics, spinal care, and sports medicine and is part of Johnson & Johnson. The expert described how the device failed due to the metal debris which sloughed off the implant. DePuy has recalled the metal-on-metal artificial hip implants and patients may have to undergo revision surgery within six years of their original hip surgery.

Forensic psychology expert witness Dr. Robert C. Engle testified Wednesday in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boise on the competency of convicted murderer Joseph Duncan. The hearing will determine whether Duncan was competent when he waived his right to appeal his death sentence in 2008. Duncan was sentenced to death for kidnapping and torturing two Idaho children before killing one of them. Dr. Engle has worked in hospitals, university counseling centers, children’s clinics and his own private practice.

Quebec Justice Brian Riordan agreed to hear the testimony of Stanford University’s Robert Proctor in the class action case against Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd., Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, and JTI-Macdonald. The tobacco expert witness published Tobacco and the Global Lung Cancer Epidemic in 2001 and has previously testified in 30 trials. Dr. Proctor testified for plaintiffs in the $27B case.

Chemistry expert witness Neal Langerman testified in a hearing regarding the death of a young chemist burned in a UCLA laboratory. Chemistry professor Patrick Harran may be tried for not properly training the 23 year old Sheharbano Sangji. Langerman described how the chemical she was working with becomes highly flammable when in contact with oxygen. Ms. Sanji , who was also not given the proper protective gear, died 18 days after the accident.

Brooke Sissom of Shelbyville, TN, has been accused of using Manchester Health Care Center patient’s drug prescriptions for herself. While employed at the nursing home, Sissom allegedly ordered strong pain medication fraudulently by using patient names and prescriptions. Criminology expert witness Stuart Colwell testified that Sissom may have sold pills as well as using them herself. Police Corporal Colwell is a Manchester police investigator.