Abstract
Expert witness testimony plays an outsized role in American law. Called upon to explain medical or scientific terms to less-knowledgeable peers, an expert can be a powerful tool, offering an authoritative perspective on specialized aspects of a case. The legal community grants experts this authority based on their alleged knowledge—within the legal sphere, science is “idealiz[ed],” and those with the “right” education or credentials are seen as more credible than those without. Despite this, legal professionals are known to “embrace expert evidence when it is misleading and un- helpful.” The expert witness tool, however, is too often denied to those it would benefit most—or worse, weaponized against them. …
Recommended Citation
Alyssa G. Harrison,
An Expert is Just Some Guy From Out of Town: Analyzing the Neoliberal Evolution of Expert Witness Testimony in Criminal Law,
59
U. Rich. L. Rev.
739
(2025).
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/lawreview/vol59/iss3/8
