Effective Expert Witnessing, Practices for the 21st Century PDF

Preface

The Fifth Edition updates vital information in the previous edition such as changes to the Federal Rule 26 concerning expert witness disclosure and trends in the issues involving the internet and social networks. In addition, the book has been expanded by twenty-five percent with three new chapters. In the new Chapter 9, difficult issues of expert witness immunity in trial testimony, professional malpractice, and civil liability are explored through a fictional case study. In the new Chapter 10, witness preparation specialist and noted social psychologist, Dr. Ann Greeley, with DecisionQuest, a trial consulting and research firm, reveals in detail the psychology of jurors and its influence on giving expert testimony. The new Chapter 11, listing the worst mistakes that experts make, contains commentary by Dr. Nicholas Pearson, a social psychologist and instructor in the Penn State Psychology Department, with relevant suggestions as to how to avoid those potentially fatal mistakes. These new chapters bring into sharp focus the importance of nontechnical, psychological aspects of testifying that make huge differences in the jury decision-making processes.