An expert witness is a person who has knowledge or experience in a certain field or discipline more than what a layman would normally have. An expert witness’ job is to give the Court or tribunal an unbiased opinion on a disputed matter on which he is an expert.
Expert witnesses are typically hired by lawyers who are either on the side of the plaintiff or the defendant in a trial. This person’s testimony can be a huge factor in the final verdict of the case. Therefore, an expert witness must be a professional who is confident and will appear credible to a judge or jury.
Here are a few tips a lawyer or paralegal can use in choosing and preparing an expert witness for the stand:
Compatibility between Witness’ Opinion and the General Argument
It has to be ensured that the general argument of the case is in line with the expert opinion given. The statements made by a Police Procedures Expert Witness on the stand are highly crucial to the results of a case. Complex cases cannot be settled until the specialist has given a deposition or submitted complete reports. The counsel’s legal team should collaborate with the witness for the purpose of outlining the necessary analytical procedures. The counsel is also expected to explain every single detail to the expert witness.
Monitoring Progress
Another thing that can be done to boost an expert witness’ testimony on the stand is to monitor his work from start to end. The attorney should meet with the expert to know the progress of the findings. This means the lawyer can have ample time to check on the facts that could make a positive or negative impact to the case. The legal team also has time to know if their argument is strong or if there are incongruities. Providing strong support to the expert witness’ conclusion is another way of helping him succeed on the stand. The key purpose in hiring a witness of this type is to provide evidence that proves the position of the attorney. However, it remains the witness’ task to defend his opinion through such methods as analytics, testing, and inspection. Click here for the best witnesses online.
Looking and Speaking Like a Specialist
Of course, for a judge and a jury to believe an expert witness, he has to look and talk the part. First off, the expert must look professional. Second, he should be effective in providing an oral presentation using visual aids, and in answering every open-ended question. And most definitely, in cross-examination, he should be able to defend his conclusion.
Staying Independent
Finally, an expert witness should maintain an air of independence. That means he must avoid overtly supporting the argument of the lawyer who hired him. Instead, he should give and defend his opinion using science and research. Read about prole and probation here at http://www.ehow.com/legal/criminal-law/parole-probation/.
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