2nd Edition
Expert Witnessing and Scientific Testimony A Guidebook, Second Edition
Based on the author’s more than 35 years of experience as a successful expert witness, this revised and expanded edition of Expert Witnessing and Scientific Testimony: A Guidebook demonstrates how to properly present scientific, criminal, and forensic testimony and survive the onslaught of cross-examination in court. It presents material in a step-by-step format for scientists or business professionals who find themselves thrown into the situation of testifying in a legal action.
New Features in the Second Edition:
- Features two new chapters on fraud and medical malpractice testimony
- Updates and expands the original chapters
The book addresses the courtroom experience by illustrating actual cases and experiences in procedure, strategy, cross-examination, and the exposure of personal history. It stresses that the primary role of an expert witness is to clarify and simplify complex technical, scientific, criminal, or forensic issues. Examples of experts with years of experience as witnesses highlight what to do and what not to do in providing quality testimony.
Expert Witnessing and Scientific Testimony: A Guidebook, Second Edition is an excellent aid for preparing to give expert testimony. Its real-life examples and practical suggestions to avoid common pitfalls ease your path to testifying in the courtroom. It is a valuable resource in warding off the stresses that accompany a high-pressure and high-value legal situation.
Involvement in a Legal Action. Negligence. Rules of Evidence and Code of Procedure. The Body of Scientific Literature. Foundation Equates to Persuasion. Legal Expert Witnesses. Speaking the Language of Lawyers. Doing the Courtroom Dance, First Learn the Steps. Skeletons in Your Closet. Impeachment Is Not Just for Presidents! Criminal, Civil, and Workers’ Compensation Cases. Toxic Torts in Retrospect. One Case Is Tragic; Two or More Is an Epidemic. Professional Liability. Out of the Ordinary: Investigations, Cases, and Trials. Expert Witnesses: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Do You Charge for Your Testimony? No, I Charge for My Time! Being a Medical Expert Witness: Be Careful What You Wish For! Accounting and Financial Matters: Numbers Don’t Lie. Closing Arguments.
Biography
Kenneth S. Cohen was born in 1937 and was raised and educated primarily in the Los Angeles, California, area before joining the U.S. Navy in 1959. The Navy sent him to a pharmacy school, and after an honorable discharge in 1963, he returned to San Diego State University to complete his bachelor’s of science in microbiology in 1965. He entered a two-year master’s program in biology but withdrew while writing his thesis out of necessity. He completed his education by seeking an off-campus degree, nine years later, from California Western University and was awarded a PhD in occupational health in 1976. He has been court qualified since 1974 as an expert witness in jurisdictions across the United States and has given testimony in nearly 1000 depositions and more than 500 court trials.
