Page 7 - Forensic News Journal Jan Feb 2018

How to Choose an Expert Witness?

job when the jurors feel wife.” attorney may try the same

comfortable enough to ask In order to give equal strategy if your expert is a
me questions before I step time, a psychopharma- D.O. rather than an M.D.
down from the witness cologist said that Dr. X. Get the expert’s fee sched-

stand. was guilty of malprac- ule. Don’t look for a bar-
tice in his treatment of a gain and don’t assume

Here is an example of man from China because that the most expensive
psychoanalytic jargon in the “removal of a methyl expert is the best. Quality
the opinion section of a re- group from citalopram is psychiatric expert work

port that could have been principally dependent on is labor intensive. I have
deadly if it had gone un- CYP 2C19 AND 3A3/4 found that an Independent

changed. “In my opinion, since 20% of Asians are Psychiatric Examination is
Mr. Smith regressed usually costlier than re-
to a pregenital level ports by other special-

after he was mugged. ists. I do read all of the
He displaced his an- records sent to me and

ger unto his wife and spend at least 4 hours
his internal objects.” evaluating a litigant. I
Believe it or not, this am often surprised by

is a direct quote from other experts who feel
a report I reviewed that a 2-hour evalua-

for a colleague. I Photo Courtesy of okorieokorocha.com tion is adequate to get
sarcastically told him that deficient in the former.” the job done. Although I
a jury might think that I think that you get the do not tape interviews, I

Mr. Smith was not only point here and I will not do try to get direct quotes
mugged but also castrated! translate it into English! from the interviewee. A

The psychiatrist was actu- longer evaluation is usu-
ally trying to say that “Mr. Request the expert’s most ally more helpful in de-
Smith began to have a recent Curriculum Vitae. tecting malingering, as

change in his personality Study it carefully. Is he a well as defensiveness and
after he was mugged. He graduate of an American symptom magnification by

was angry and depressed medical school? If he at- the interviewee.
because he thought that he tended an offshore medi-
should have tried to fight cal school, the adversary Check to see if the ex-

off the attackers and he attorney may use this pert’s hourly fee is con-
took his anger out on his against you. The opposing sistent with his training

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