John Fetzer discusses the role of those scientists who sometimes work as an expert legal witness. According to him, most capable scientists can fit the role of an expert witness. But expert in legal terms is not the same as expert in scientific terms; instead, it is those names that other scientists in the field recognize. They are the editors of journals, authors of books, receivers of awards, and the other roles of recognition in science. In law, anyone being able to provide the court with an understanding of the science and technology is an expert. A court views an expert to be an impartial scientific expert and if a judge observes such behavior, will admonish the witness for being an advocate. This can mean that the jury is instructed to give less weight to the opinions of that witness. An expert can either be a passive or active witness. Being an active witness means being aware of that side's aims and trying to testify in line with them. The skills required to be a good expert go well beyond understanding the science. Being an expert witness can be an interesting challenge while doing a different type of work.
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