Expert Witness Blog

Practical guidance for expert witnesses — testimony, report writing, depositions, fees and building a successful practice.

October 12, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Mississippi

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Mississippi’s Model Jury Instructions, Civil rule 213. MISS. PLAIN LANG. MODEL JURY INSTR. CIVIL 213 (2015). This rule instructs the jury that experts can testify to their opinions based on their expertise. Id. Additionally, the jury is not required to accept the expert’s opinions, and the jury is given the duty to

October 11, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Louisiana

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Louisiana’s Civil Jury Instructions, § 2:5. LA. CIVIL JURY INSTR. § 2:5 (2016). This rule instructs the jury that experts are permitted to testify as to their opinions regarding the case at hand given their particular expertise or education. Id. The jury is instructed to evaluate the expert’s opinions and determine how

October 10, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Kentucky

Jury instructions in Kentucky are not compiled in a single source as with most states. Instead, Rule 51 of Kentucky’s Rules of Civil Procedure provides that the court can require the parties to submit jury instructions to be given to the jury. KY. REV. STAT. ANN. § 6.51 (West 2017). Case law provides that jury instructions should be “bare bones”

October 9, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Kansas

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Kansas’s Pattern Jury Instructions, Civil rule 102.50. PATTERN INSTR. KAN. CIVIL 102.50 (2016). This rule allows experts to testify as to their opinions on matters that are within their area of expertise. Id. The jury is instructed to evaluate expert testimony the same way that it is supposed to evaluate testimony from

October 7, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Iowa

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Iowa’s Civil Jury Instructions, Rule 100.12. IOWA CIVIL JURY INSTR. 100.12 (2004). This rule explains to the jury that experts are individuals who have special education and experience and are allowed to testify to their opinions of the case at hand. Id. The jury is instructed to consider expert testimony the same

October 6, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Arkansas

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Arkansas’s Model Civil Jury Instructions, Rule 107. Ark. Model Jury Instr. Civil 107 (2016). This rule instructs the jury that experts are individuals who have special education or expertise related to the subject of their testimony. Id. Additionally, the rule instructs that expert witnesses are permitted to testify as to their opinion

October 5, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Connecticut

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses are outlined in Connecticut’s Criminal Jury Instructions, § 3.13. CONN. CRIMINAL JURY INSTR. § 3.13 (2016). This rule instructs the jury that testimony from expert witnesses is not binding on the jury, and the jury is not required to accept said testimony. Id. Additionally, when the jury is considering how much weight to give an

October 4, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Alabama

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in Alabama are outlined in Alabama Pattern Jury Instructions, Civil rule 15.06. ALA. PATTERN JURY INSTR. 15.06 (2016). This rule instructs the jury to consider the expert’s testimony in light of all other evidence presented, as the expert testimony is to aid the jury in understanding difficult portions of the facts. Id. Further, the rule

October 3, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Missouri

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in Missouri are not outlined in Missouri’s jury instructions. Instead, case law provides a basis for how the jury should be instructed regarding expert witnesses. The jury should be instructed that it is not bound to the testimony of any or all experts, and the jury should determine what weight to give each expert’s testimony

October 2, 2017

Expert Witness Sample Jury Instructions in Minnesota

Jury instructions regarding expert witnesses in Minnesota are outlined in Minnesota’s Jury Instruction Guides, Civil rule 12.30. MINN. PRACTICE JURY INSTR. GUIDES CIVIL RULE 12.30 (2017). This rule explains to the jury that experts are permitted to testify to their opinions on the matter at hand because of their expertise. Id. The rule instructs the jury to evaluate an expert’s