8127/frame/fm

Figure 11.1
Jail painting.
An inmate painted his recollection of his trial for one of
the authors. The judge’s demeanor says it all. An expert witness should endeavor to
avoid producing this kind of ennui in his listeners when giving technical testimony.
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273
 
Communicating Your 
Results — Where 
 
Science Meets the Law
A.
Communicating Your Results .............................................................. 274
1.
Writing a Report............................................................................ 274
a.
Is a Written Report Obligatory?............................................ 274
b.
What Information Should Be in a Report?.......................... 276
c.
Language ................................................................................. 279
d.
Significant Figures.................................................................. 284
2.
The Big Picture .............................................................................. 284
3.
Testimony ....................................................................................... 286
a.
Personal Preparation.............................................................. 287
b.
Preparing with Your Attorney Client.................................... 289
i. The Danger of “Expert Attorneys” ................................. 291
4.
Be Familiar with Legal Rules and Procedures............................. 291
5.
Admissibility Hearings .................................................................. 292
6.
Educating the Judge and the Jury ................................................ 292
7.
The Ethics of Communicating Your Conclusions ...................... 292
8.
Navigating the Testimonial Wilderness — Pitfalls, Traps, 
and Ambushes ............................................................................... 293
a.
Reasonable Certainty ............................................................. 293
b.
Know What You Did.............................................................. 294
c.
Knowing When to Say “I Don’t Know” ............................... 294
d.
Yes or No................................................................................. 294
e.
Agreement by Default ............................................................ 295
f.
Demeanor of the Expert........................................................ 295
g.
Review Your Testimony.......................................................... 295
B.
Expressing Opinions — How Far Should the Analyst Go?............... 296
C.
Summary ............................................................................................... 297
References ...................................................................................................... 297
11
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274
Principles and Practice of Criminalistics
“That house on the hilltop — can you see what color they’ve painted it?” …. 
“It is white on this side”