Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Connecticut’s Criminal Jury Instructions, § 3.13. CONN. CRIMINAL JURY INSTR. § 3.13 (2016). This rule instructs the jury that testimony from expert witnesses is not binding on the jury, and the jury is not required to accept said testimony. Id. Additionally, when the jury is considering how much weight to give an expert’s testimony, the jury should consider the expert’s “appearance and demeanor on the stand, his interest or lack of interest in the outcome of the case, his ability to recall and relate facts to you, and all the other considerations you use in judging the believability of any other witness.” Id. Furthermore, the jury should consider the expert’s education and experience, as well as the expert’s specific expertise in the field of the expert’s testimony. Id. Lastly, the rule notes that experts can testify to their opinions, and when those opinions are based on hypothetical situations posed to the expert the jury should consider how similar those facts are to the facts in the case at hand. Id.
