Court-Appointed Expert Witnesses: Gambit for Control

Illustration: A. Canamucio Some elements of the legal community suggest that the cure for biased and greedy expert witnesses is the court appointment of experts as in Europe. Under the plan, litigants can apparently still hire as many lawyers as circumstances dictate and pay them freely, but only the court can appoint experts and pay them on a standard, and presumably lesser, scale. Courts would certify experts, and lawyers would then consult the database for legitimate experts. Lawyers wo

Written byRod Taber
| 6 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
6:00
Share

Illustration: A. Canamucio


Some elements of the legal community suggest that the cure for biased and greedy expert witnesses is the court appointment of experts as in Europe. Under the plan, litigants can apparently still hire as many lawyers as circumstances dictate and pay them freely, but only the court can appoint experts and pay them on a standard, and presumably lesser, scale. Courts would certify experts, and lawyers would then consult the database for legitimate experts.

Lawyers would greatly benefit from the reduction of scientists from free-agent professionals to fixed-price tradesmen. A list of approved experts gives lawyers a database of who plays ball and who doesn't. The proposed solution is ripe for abuse. I won't select that expert if you don't select this one. If you select that one then I will select this one. The net result is that lawyers stand to gain even more control over ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
Illustration of a developing fetus surrounded by a clear fluid with a subtle yellow tinge, representing amniotic fluid.
January 2026, Issue 1

What Is the Amniotic Fluid Composed of?

The liquid world of fetal development provides a rich source of nutrition and protection tailored to meet the needs of the growing fetus.

View this Issue
Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Skip the Wait for Protein Stability Data with Aunty

Unchained Labs
Graphic of three DNA helices in various colors

An Automated DNA-to-Data Framework for Production-Scale Sequencing

illumina
Exploring Cellular Organization with Spatial Proteomics

Exploring Cellular Organization with Spatial Proteomics

Abstract illustration of spheres with multiple layers, representing endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm derived organoids

Organoid Origins and How to Grow Them

Thermo Fisher Logo

Products

Brandtech Logo

BRANDTECH Scientific Introduces the Transferpette® pro Micropipette: A New Twist on Comfort and Control

Biotium Logo

Biotium Launches GlycoLiner™ Cell Surface Glycoprotein Labeling Kits for Rapid and Selective Cell Surface Imaging

Colorful abstract spiral dot pattern on a black background

Thermo Scientific X and S Series General Purpose Centrifuges

Thermo Fisher Logo
Abstract background with red and blue laser lights

VANTAstar Flexible microplate reader with simplified workflows

BMG LABTECH