Expert Witness Blog

Practical guidance for expert witnesses — testimony, report writing, depositions, fees and building a successful practice.

October 28, 2017

What do Courts Consider to be a Reasonable Expert Witness Fee/Rate for an Applied Statistics Expert Witness?

This case involves a motion by the defendant to “set a reasonable expert witness fee” for plaintiff’s applied statistics expert witness. Brunarski v. Miami University, No. 1:16-cv-311, 2017 WL 713691 (S.D. Ohio Feb. 23, 2017). The plaintiff’s expert is a Professor at the University of California who has attained his PhD in Earth Science and has additional degrees in Statistics.

October 28, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in North Dakota

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in North Dakota are outlined in North Dakota’s Pattern Jury Instructions Civil § C- 80.05. N.D. PATTERN JURY INSTR. CIVIL § C – 80.05 (2010) . This rule explains that individuals labeled as experts have “specialized knowledge that will assist he jury in understanding the evidence.” Id. The jury is instructed that it is not

October 27, 2017

What do Courts Consider to be a Reasonable Expert Witness Fee/Rate for a Geodemographic Expert Witness and a Political Science Expert Witness?

In this case, the plaintiff was seeking expert witness fees in the amounts of $5,400 for a Geodemographic Consultant and $27,413.42 for an Associate Political Science Professor from the University of Michigan. Raleigh Wake Citizens Ass’n. v. Wake Cty. Bd. of Elections, No. 5:13-CV-607-D, 2017 WL 4400754 (E.D.N.C. Sept. 29, 2017). The court was charged with finding whether these fees

October 27, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in North Carolina

Jury instructions in North Carolina are outlined in North Carolina’s Pattern Jury Instructions for Civil Cases, Rule 101.25. N.C. PATTERN JURY INSTR. CIVIL 101.25 (2016). This rule alerts the jury that expert witnesses are allowed to testify as to their opinions. Id. It also instructs the jury that regardless of the witness’s status as an expert, the jury has the

October 26, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in New Mexico

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in New Mexico’s Uniform Jury Instructions, Civil rule 13-213. UNIFORM JURY INSTR. N.M. 13-213 (2017). This rule instructs the jury that expert witnesses are permitted to testify as to their opinions given their expertise. Id. Additionally, the jury should consider “the reasons stated for an opinion” to determine the amount of weight and

October 25, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in New Jersey

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in New Jersey are outlined in New Jersey’s Model Civil Jury Charges, Rule 1.13. N.J. MODEL CIVIL JURY CHARGES 1.13 (1995). This rule explains to the jury that experts are permitted to give their opinions while testifying relating to subject matters that the expert is qualified in. Id. This rule also reminds the jury that

October 24, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in New Hampshire

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in New Hampshire are outlined in New Hampshire’s Civil Jury Instructions, rule 4.3. N.H. CIVIL JURY INSTR. 4.3 (2016). This rule instructs the jury that experts are permitted to testify as to their opinions in a case given their status as an expert. Id. The jury is told that it can wholly “reject an expert’s

October 23, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Nebraska

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in Nebraska are outlined in Nebraska’s Jury Instructions, Civil rule 1.42. NEB. JURY INSTR. CIVIL 1.42 (2016). This rule instructs the jury that expert witnesses can testify as to the subject matter that they are experts in. Id. The jury is to “determine what weight, if any, to give to an expert’s testimony” the same

October 20, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Montana

Jury instructions regarding witnesses in Montana are outlined in Montana’s Rules on Evidence, rule 26-1-303. MONT. CODE ANN. § 26-1-303 (2017). This rule provides overarching rules that that govern how the jury should evaluate the evidence presented to it during the trial. Id. The rule states that the jury should decide what to believe by evaluating all of the evidence,

October 19, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Maine

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Maine’s Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions, rule 3.06. ME. PATTERN CRIM. JURY INSTR. 3.06 (2002). This rule instructs the jury that it does not have to accept the testimony of any witness if it does not feel the witness is credible. Id. The jury has the duty to consider all of the testimony