Criminal Defense: The Use of Experts in Trials

Criminal Defense: The use of experts is an important decision in the defense of a criminal case. If the government, for example, has chosen to bring an expert on as part of their case, it may be an absolute necessity to obtain an expert on the defense side to refute the various statements made by the government’s expert. The use of experts by the defense can also be quite helpful in the pre indictment discussions with government.

Criminal defense attorney Meg Strickler has been commenting on the Ross Harris hot car death trial on various media outlets. In this case, the defense put on an expert as part of their case. Experts are often called upon by the government and the defense. In the Ross Harris case, the defense called a “memory” expert to try and explain away the fact that Ross Harris allegedly “forgot” his child in the back seat of his car and the child died. The defense alleged that this was all a tragic accident as opposed to something reckless or maliciously done by the defendant. The cross examination, however, brought down any effectiveness that may have occured. And the cross of this expert is now going to be a classic “how to” for future lawyers to dismantle anything the expert has stated on direct. Please see my commentary here. Criminal defense attorneys like Dan Conaway and Meg Strickler will work to obtain the best expert(s) in your case and use it in trial as applicable. But, also, Conaway & Strickler will also know, through years of trial experience, when to use experts and when not to utilize them.

For additional blogs, please see here.