Expert Evidence

Coverage: Annual update last published in December 2023.
Content Highlights: Modern Scientific Evidence: The Law and Science of Expert Testimony helps judges and lawyers assess the validity of an expert's scientific methodology, following the scientific evidence issues raised by the Daubert ruling. The text challenges the use of "generally accepted" scientific ideas when ruling on admissibility or managing expert witnesses in state and federal courts, and prepares trial attorneys to explain scientific concepts during admissibility arguments and confidently elicit or challenge expert testimony during trial.

Publisher: Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.
Coverage: Through November 2023; Release No. 2023S
Description: Scientific Evidence explains in clear terms the latest forensic techniques and scientific concepts used in collecting and evaluating evidence. Organized logically for the active litigator, Scientific Evidence first covers rules and precedents relating to admissibility, constitutional limitations, discovery, expert testimony, laboratory reports, and chain of custody. It then analyzes the most frequently encountered scientific evidence. The reference cited by the Supreme Court in Daubert v. Merrill Dow explains such current developments as hypnotically-refreshed testimony, DNA technologies such as RFLP and PCR, computerized accident reconstruction, securing expert assistance, questioned document examination, and bite mark comparison.

Publisher: Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.
Coverage: Through June 2022; Last updated in 2020, release 6.
Author: Edward J. Imwinkelried
Description: The Methods of Attacking Scientific Evidence reviews all OF the major evidentiary doctrines applicable to scientific evidence. The book first analyzes the admissibility of the testimony of the witnesses who lay the chain of custody for the physical evidence tested. It then catalogues the admissibility attacks on the expert witnesses who teach the jury about the theory and instrument, report about the specific test in question, and evaluate the test result for the jury. The book also covers the tactics of attacking the weight of scientific evidence and dissects the attacks on the weight of many different factors.

Publisher: Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.
Coverage: Through April 2024; Release 42
Learn how to undermine an expert's testimony by showing bias, lack of qualification, inconsistency with prior statements, etc., how to use a witness to prove your case and how to control a hostile witness. Cross examinations are contributed by Richard Caulfield, Ronald Krist, Paul Luvera, Robert Ely, Richard Sommer, Scott Baldwin, Fred Peters, Bruce Walkup, Frank Raichle, Stanley Preiser, Adrian Schoone, Joseph L. Young and Leonard Decof.