300 Words

You command a regional crime scene unit and have recently hired three graduates from a Professional Certification Organization for Crime Scene Investigators. The three graduates' specialties are firearms identification, blood spatter pattern analysis, and fingerprint comparison. You are fortunate because they have been working under their respective specialty supervisors for several years and have been involved in research and live case work.

They have never testified on their own as expert witnesses but now they have come to you and asked what the credentials are to become an expert witness in a case and who makes the decision that they are an expert witness for that trial.

They also want to know, once they are found to be an expert witness in a trial, does it mean they are automatically considered to be an expert for the same subject in the next trial that they must testify in?

You must answer them, and include the following:

• Name 3 qualifying conditions that they could submit for consideration of recognizing them as an expert witness in a trial.
• Advise them who will ultimately decide whether they are an expert witness for a trial.