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Law 101: Legal Guide for the Forensic Expert

Examiner Techniques on Cross-Examination

One of the frequent keys to weakness in an expert opinion occurs when the forensic witness uses the phrases "in my judgment," "I believe" or "I think." That is almost a red flag to experienced counsel to move in and attack.

These preface statements imply the absence of fact or pragmatic input. The suggestion is that the testimony may be unsupported conjecture by the expert, hardly sufficient to meet the threshold of probability that is generally required.

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Date Created: August 7, 2023