Determining Vehicle Speed from a Video Recording
CCTV video is typically used to provide information about what occurred during a noted event and to assist in identifying people, vehicles, objects, etc. A less common but equally helpful use of CCTV video is to determine the speed of vehicles traveling through the field of view. This article summarizes the legal and...
Lay Witness or Expert Witness? Who Decides and Why Does it Matter?
Once the forensic video analysis work has been completed and the report has been written, the analyst may be called to court to testify to the work undertaken. The question then arises as to whether this evidence should be led as expert evidence or lay testimony. Who decides this question and why does...
Next Online Courtroom Testimony for Expert Witnesses Course Announced: TBD
The online Courtroom Testimony for Expert Witnesses course has continually been a great success! We have had participants from across Canada and the US, the UK, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand. The ability to learn from the instructor and from each other in this dynamic and informative course is unparalleled. The online format has proven...
Opposing Experts Diverge on Video Authentication: Case Study
An interesting surveillance video authentication case involving opposing experts found its way to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey. This article reviews the facts that were considered by the trial judge, the expert evidence presented, the authentication ruling of the trial judge, and the appellate review of that ruling....
Cognitive Bias and Forensic Experts: Preserving Independence and Learning to Say No
Cognitive bias among forensic experts is a significant issue that can lead to unsupportable conclusions and miscarriages of justice when undetected. It may also result in the exclusion of evidence at trial that one of the parties was relying upon as a method of proof. Such was the case in a June 2023...