Scientific and Expert Evidence, Third Edition

Using representative cases, comprehensible scientific readings, and the authors’ insightful introductions and explanatory notes, Scientific and Expert Evidenceprovides a comprehensive treatment of the law and science relating to scientific and expert evidence. The Third Edition provides more explanation of scientific concepts and full coverage of recent scientific and legal developments, but in a shorter book that focuses more intensively on core legal issues.

New to the Third Edition:

• An entirely redesigned chapter covering developments in Opinion Evidence, including new cases exploring the complexity and boundaries of expert evidence that are suitable for student projects
• A fully redesigned chapter on Social Science, Behavioral Science, and Neuroscience, with new cases and commentary
• Inclusion of cutting-edge cases that highlight courts’ growing recognition of the importance of scientific accuracy in the areas of eyewitness identification, false confession, and child sexual abuse evidence
• A reorganized and more tightly focused treatment of forensic science, with excerpts from national science organizations focusing on accuracy and reliability of pattern matching evidence and the problems that still remain
• Full coverage of evolving DNA science, including the “database mining” approach to cold cases, continuing developments in the statistical analysis of matches, and the vanishing notion of “junk” DNA
• Elucidation of the sometimes-conflicting legal and scientific ideas of causation and proof, including updated cases involving toxic exposures and medical devices
• Additional cases involving economic analysis in evidence, coupled with expanded explanatory notes
• Updated exposition of the current state of the law of scientific evidence
• An expanded explanation of basic statistical concepts, with additional examples and illustrations

Professors and students will benefit from:

• Complex issues presented clearly and concisely
• A consistent and logical internal chapter organization and pedagogy
• Accessible but not simplistic discussion of statistics and DNA chapters
• The exploration of the differences and synergies of legal and scientific methods and goals
• A new case in Chapter 2 that permits students to pull together multiple concepts in FRE 702 and the Daubert trilogy, perfect for a written assignment or classroom discussion