3 Review(s)

As the first major revision since 2000 of the landmark handbook on expert testimony, this fourth edition provides the crucial, insider information that today's testifying forensic experts want and need to not only survive, but thrive in deposition and court testimony. Comprehensively reorganized to accommodate greater breadth and scope, this edition makes it even easier to find and use information on the most vital topics, including deposition and direct and cross-examination testimony of expert witnesses. It includes a new forward by Peter Neufeld, DNA expert, lawyer, and co-founder of the Innocence Project, as well as several new chapters providing an overview of expert witnessing; explanations of methods, testing, and science; and examinations of the roles of each player. The book also provides a revised and updated chapter on ethics, covering basic real-world ethical issues, problems, and solutions, such as unethical conduct, junk science, abuse of and by experts, and forensic professional codes of ethics. Each chapter includes Key Terms, Review Questions, and Discussion Questions along with new and revised charts and illustrations. A 50-page appendix covers the four major federal court decisions affecting expert testimony, as well as an update of the indispensable article Expert Testimony in the Wake of Daubert, Joiner, and Kumho Tire, by Sidney W. Jackson, III, counsel for the respondents in the U.S. Supreme Court case Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael. Offering useful career insights and trial-tested tips from lawyer/expert Harold A. Feder and forensic scientist Max M. Houck, the strong emphasis on criminal law material makes this the perfect book for forensic science students heading to key positions in U.S. and international crime labs, as well as a crucial reference and resource for more experienced civil, private, and testifying experts in all disciplines.