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Biotechnology expert witnesses may write reports on genetic engineering, biochemical engineering, and more. Here, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations describes biotechnology:

There is a wide array of “biotechnologies” with different techniques and applications. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines biotechnology as: “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use”.

Interpreted in this broad sense, the definition of biotechnology covers many of the tools and techniques that are commonplace in agriculture and food production. Interpreted in a narrow sense, which considers only the new DNA techniques, molecular biology and reproductive technological applications, the definition covers a range of different technologies such as gene manipulation and gene transfer, DNA typing and cloning of plants and animals.

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Polymers expert witnesses may opine on vinyl chloride polymers, electroactive polymers, functional polymers, and more. Here, the International Cast Polymer Alliance defines cast polymer:

Cast Polymer is the umbrella term used to encompass cultured marble, cultured granite, cultured onyx and solid surface products used in a wide range of household and commercial applications. Some of these applications include: counter tops, lavatories, vanities, shower receptors, bathtubs, enclosure sets, fireplace surrounds, window sills, wall panels, floor tiles, whirlpool baths and molding accents.

Cast polymer products are man-made, chemically–bonded, mineral-filled, polymeric materials which are molded and hardened to a solid material in a variety of shapes that meet diverse design needs. The manufacturing process permits a range of uses almost impossible to achieve with quarried stone. Cast polymer is stronger and less brittle than quarried marble; it is more durable than porcelain. Cast polymer products resist mildew and stains and are easily cleaned with non-abrasive cleaning agents. The one-piece, seamless construction of cast polymer is easy to maintain and resistant to breakage.

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On his website, Consultox.com, environmental toxicology expert witness Dr. Roger A Parent writes on generic drugs:

In June 2009 the US FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs issued, “Guidance for Industry; ANDAs: Impurities in Drug Substances” which basically follows the Q3A, Q3B, Q3C ICH guidelines. These guidelines focus on Drug Substances and covers original abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs), drug master files(DMFs), including Type II DMFs and ANDA supplements for changes in the synthesis or processing of a drug substance.

The guidance provides recommendations for establishing acceptance criteria for impurities in drug substances and recommends that the specifications for a Drug Substance include a list of impurities. A rational for the inclusion or exclusion of impurities should be included. As indicated in the ICH guidelines, if an impurity cannot be identified, then the efforts made to identify the impurity should be included if present at a level greater than the identification threshold given in ICH Q3A. Organic and inorganic impurities should be considered as well as residual solvent.

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Mortgage expert witnesses may opine on mortgage fraud, residential mortgages, and wholesale mortgages, among other topics. TheStreet.com reported this week that Bank of America said it will stop originating mortgages through brokers, the latest sign of caution among lenders that are grappling with a horde of buyback requests, lawsuits and fraud accusations stemming from loans that were originated carelessly.

As mortgage delinquencies, defaults and foreclosures have continued to pile up across the nation, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began pushing back loans to servicers last year. Over the weekend, news broke that Bank of America had halted foreclosures in dozens of states due to a raft of litigation stemming from paperwork errors. JPMorgan and GMAC Mortgage followed suit while an array of other large lenders, including Citi, U.S. Bancorp, HSBC and PNC Financial Services, are reportedly scrutinizing their foreclosure processes at regulators’ behest.

The so-called “originate to sell” model is central to the problem banks are now facing in regards to buybacks. Mortgage originators had little reason to care about what happened to mortgages once they left the balance sheet via securitization. As a result, those working directly with customers had been trying to push as many applications through the pipeline as quickly as possible, leading to paperwork errors that investors have seized upon to force servicers to buy back debt.

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Mortgage expert witnesses may opine on mortgage fraud, residential mortgages, and wholesale mortgages, among other topics. TheStreet.com reported this week that Bank of America said it will stop originating mortgages through brokers, the latest sign of caution among lenders that are grappling with a horde of buyback requests, lawsuits and fraud accusations stemming from loans that were originated carelessly.

Bank of America isn’t the first lender to pare back its wholesale mortgage operations. JPMorgan Chase did the same thing last year, citing the fact that loans originated in-house performed better than those that came from brokers. Citigroup began downsizing its wholesale operations in 2008.

“By exiting the first mortgage wholesale channel, we can redirect critical operational resources to further enhance our capabilities in direct-to-consumer channels,” Barbara Desoer, who heads Bank of America’s mortgage division, said in a statement. “This is an investment in strengthening our competitive position.”

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Translation expert witnesses may opine on document translation and medical interpreting. Here, the American Translators Association explains that translation is not a commodity and offers standards for buying a non-commodity.

#3 The intended readers.

Are you targeting teenagegamers, genetic researchers, patent agents or simply anyone who might stumble upon your website?

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Firearms and ballistics expert witness William McBrayer testified in the Demeatrius Montgomery trial which found Montgomery guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal shootings of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officers Jeff Shelton and Sean Clark. The firearms and tool examiner, recently retired from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department’s crime lab, said bullets found lodged inside Sean Clark’s head and at the scene were definitely fired from a gun prosecutors say is the murder weapon.

Just before the trial concluded, defense attorney Duane Bryant announced that his client would appeal.

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com.

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In Public Safety Experts: No Longer “The Retired Cop,” emergency communications and 911 expert witness Charles D. Carter writes:

It has been well-established that an expert witness is someone who the court recognizes as an authority on a specific topic. Every profession has specific criteria for individuals who desire to be considered an expert within that profession. Most professions and criteria for experts in those professions have been established for many years. Some are as old as America.

New technologies have created new professions. Before computers, there wasn’t a need for experts in computer fraud or computer forensics. Specializations within professions have created subspecialties. For example, public safety has been around as long as America. Within the public safety spectrum, two professions initially existed based on what was brought from England – law enforcement and fire service.

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Property management experts at The Lightner Property Group write:

Currently, there are a number of bills which have passed both the Senate and the Assembly which are of interest to landlords and tenants in California. The first of our three bills, AB 1800 (Hagman-Ma), is a response to the numerous scams that have arisen out of the on-line rental market and the increasing number of owners renting their own units through on-line listing services.

To avoid the scam entirely, what can a prospective renter do?

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In Nondestructive Ink and Paper Examinations, handwriting expert witness Ronald N. Norris writes:

When most people think of ink analysis they, think that it is a destructive examination which means my document is going to be severely damaged or destroyed. That is not completely accurate. There is a way of examining ink entries without damaging the document, and it is usually the only test necessary to resolve the issue of ink differentiation.

The examination process, known as infrared fluorescence, or luminescence, was developed by Mr. H. Gibson for use in the study of tissue samples. Forensic document examiners have used the same technique for nondestructive ink differentiation examinations for many years. Because a technical discussion of the process is beyond the scope of this paper, the reader is referred to an article on the web at http://msp.rmit.edu.au/Article_02/04.html. At the same web site there are links to other articles about the theory and equipment necessary to perform nondestructive ink examinations.