Daubert Standard

Definition

The Daubert Standard is a legal standard used to determine the admissibility of expert witness testimony in court. Established by the Supreme Court in the 1993 case Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., it requires that scientific evidence must be both relevant and reliable, focusing on the methodology and principles used to produce the evidence rather than the conclusions reached. This standard emphasizes the importance of scientific rigor in evaluating the credibility of expert testimony.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Daubert Standard shifts the focus from simply accepting scientific evidence based on community acceptance to evaluating the reliability of the scientific methods used.
2. Under the Daubert Standard, judges act as gatekeepers, deciding whether the expert testimony is based on scientifically valid reasoning or methodology.
3. Factors considered under this standard include testability, peer review, error rates, and general acceptance within the scientific community.
4. The Daubert Standard applies not only to scientific testimony but also to technical and specialized knowledge, broadening its scope beyond traditional scientific disciplines.
5. The implementation of the Daubert Standard has led to more rigorous scrutiny of expert testimony in trials, impacting the outcomes of many cases.

Review Questions

• How does the Daubert Standard differ from the Frye Standard in evaluating expert testimony?
  • The Daubert Standard differs from the Frye Standard primarily in its approach to admissibility. While Frye relies on whether scientific evidence is generally accepted by experts in the relevant field, Daubert requires a more thorough examination of the reliability and relevance of the methodologies used. Judges play a crucial role as gatekeepers under Daubert, assessing not only acceptance but also testability, peer review, and error rates of the scientific evidence presented.
• What are some key factors that judges consider when applying the Daubert Standard to determine the reliability of expert testimony?
  • Judges consider several key factors when applying the Daubert Standard, including whether the theory or technique can be and has been tested; whether it has been subjected to peer review and publication; its known or potential error rate; and whether it has achieved general acceptance within its relevant scientific community. These criteria help ensure that only credible and scientifically valid expert testimony is allowed in court.
• Evaluate how the adoption of the Daubert Standard has changed the landscape of courtroom proceedings regarding expert witness testimony.
  • The adoption of the Daubert Standard has significantly changed courtroom proceedings by placing greater responsibility on judges to critically evaluate expert witness testimony. This shift encourages more rigorous scrutiny of scientific evidence, leading to increased challenges against expert witnesses and potentially influencing trial outcomes. The requirement for reliability means that attorneys must present well-founded methodologies and data, making it harder for dubious or unsupported expert opinions to sway juries. Overall, this standard fosters a higher level of integrity and accountability in how expert evidence is handled in legal proceedings.

Related terms

Frye Standard:

A legal standard that determines the admissibility of scientific evidence based on whether it is generally accepted within the relevant scientific community.

Expert Witness: A person who has specialized knowledge, training, or experience in a particular field and can provide opinion testimony in court.

Relevance:

A legal concept referring to whether evidence is directly related to the facts at issue in a case, helping to establish its admissibility.