The Law

Expert testimony is a common and essential component in both civil and
criminal trials. Every forensic scientist who is called into court to give the
results of his or her study must first be qualified as an expert witness. Courts
allow expert testimony out of necessity to assist the fact finder. A witness
qualifies as an expert by reason of “knowledge, skill, experience, training,
or education.”1 The trial judge determines if a witness is qualified as an expert
and in what field of areas of science the expert may testify.2 The forensic scientist
may qualify as an expert on the basis of education, background, or study.3
Evidence being offered by a qualified forensic expert is subject to admissibility
standards for the specific scientific evidence being presented. A judge
must determine admissibility of that scientific evidence.

Introduction

Forensic science is simply defined as the application of science to the law or
legal matters. In today’s CSI and Forensic Files world, this area of science
is much more widely known to the general public. However, it is also misunderstood
due to Hollywood’s resolve to complete every case within the
context of a one-hour, commercials included, pseudo-real-life crime drama.
When the actual real-life judicial system needs science to resolve a question,
the person who is called upon to bring science into the courtroom is often a
forensic scientist.