In the high-stakes arena of criminal trials, the power of a meticulously executed cross-examination can dramatically tilt the scales of justice. The battlefield has shifted as prosecutions and defense lawyers increasingly rely on forensic experts-from psychiatrists to toxicologists.
Both sides prominently used forensic experts in the second Bill Cosby trial and Harvey Weinstein's New York trial. Counterintuitive victim behavior experts played a vital role in the prosecution's trial strategy in these cases. This book will help criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors effectively cross-examine such experts.
Discover Cross-Examination Mastery with Pattern Cross-Examination Questions for Expert Witnesses
Pattern Cross-Examination Questions for Expert Witnesses will assist criminal law practitioners in scoring points when cross-examining the forensic experts listed below. This resource contains thousands of cross-examination questions to help lawyers cross-examine challenging witnesses using scientific research without reinventing the wheel with each new case.
It includes thousands of pattern questions that lawyers can use to dominate experts and level the playing field at trial. The sample cross-examination techniques and questions can be easily modified for a variety of criminal cases. The questions provided serve as a starting point. Because every case is different, the cross-examiner should modify the questions based on the facts of their case. This Trial Guide is not a textbook on the theories of cross-examination. Instead, it provides sample questions based on fact patterns commonly encountered when dealing with forensic experts in a variety of criminal trials.
With an extensive repository of scientific research references, attorneys can confidently challenge opposing experts, utilizing the learned treatise exception to impeach their credibility effectively.
Pattern Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses is more than a guide; it's invaluable for any criminal justice lawyer committed to safeguarding justice through cross-examination.
Packed with cross-examination examples, this book will assist in the cross-examination of:- Forensic psychiatrists/psychologists;
- Forensic toxicologists;
- Strangulation experts;
- Law enforcement;
- Social workers;
- Experts in child abuse, assault, and sex crimes.
CHAPTER 1: Dealing With Hostile Witnesses
CHAPTER 2: Counterintuitive Victim Behavior
CHAPTER 3: Alcohol: Memory & Consent
CHAPTER 4: Memory & Perception
CHAPTER 5: False Confessions
CHAPTER 6: Child Memory
CHAPTER 7: Confabulation (Memory Error)
CHAPTER 8: False Allegations of Sexual Assault
CHAPTER 9: Borderline Personality Disorder
CHAPTER 10: Strangulation
CHAPTER 11: Bruising & Dating Bruises
CHAPTER 12: Cognitive Dissonance & Sexual Assault