Frye, Daubert, and PCAST: Countering Admissibility Challenges

This training was presented as a part of the National Center on Forensics conference at George Mason University on August 8^th, 2023. In this session, First Assistant Attorney General Amie Ely, Former Senior Advisor on Forensic Science to the Office of Legal Policy at the US Department of Justice Kenneth Melson, and Special Assistant District Attorney Laurie Korenbaum review the evolution of Frye and the progression to Daubert regarding standards of admissibility, and the publication of the 2016 PCAST report. This discussion highlights the pros and cons of the Frye Standard vs the Daubert Standard, the PCAST Report standards to be used in forensic investigations with specific examples, and countering PCAST admissibility challenges in Daubert cases.