Expert Witnesses in Prince George’s County DUI Cases
Witnesses may be useful in a number of cases. specifically for DUIs. There may be a need for expert witnesses in Prince George’s County DUI cases for certain circumstances pertaining to driving while under the influence. If a person has certain knowledge, training or experience, such that they could give an opinion or conclusion about something relevant in a case, they could be considered an expert witness.
The state has the burden of proof, so they may also utilize an expert witness that could testify and provide a testimony. A seasoned attorney could utilize an expert witness to refute the prosecution’s testimony and potentially convince the jury of your case. Contact a Prince George’s County DUI attorney as soon as possible to learn more about the benefit of expert witnesses in DUI cases.
Difference Between a Lay Witness and Expert Witness in Prince George’s County DUI Cases
Anybody could be considered a lay witness. A lay witness may be entitled to give testimony regarding observations, things that they saw, heard, felt; any discernible type of information of that nature. Expert witnesses in Prince George’s County DUI cases may give a wider breadth of what they could testify to once they are accepted as an expert for an impaired driving incident.
For example, a lay-witness could say they saw a red car run a red light and hit a parked car, which could all be considered observable facts. An expert could say that the vehicle, based upon the skid marks at impact, was traveling 37 miles an hour prior and could testify that the person suffered a concussion based upon the impact, speed, and airbag. They could use the medical records and other relevant information to give any other opinion or conclusion based upon their observations. Expert witnesses in Prince George’s County DUI cases could only give an opinion based upon the specific area from which they have been accepted as an expert.
Examples of Expert Witnesses
Experts could testify:
- Regarding the administering of the field sobriety tests
- Regarding the performance or assessment of the tests
- Regarding whether someone is on drugs or otherwise impaired
- Regarding the results of the breathalyzer machine
Those are all things someone could be trained for and could be certified in. An officer just could not say that the person blew a 0.20 unless they are qualified to administer the test, followed all the protocol, and could explain what it all means. A talented DUI attorney could know to look into the potential expert witnesses for the prosecution and work to ensure they were qualified experts in their respective fields.
Benefits of a Prince George’s County DUI Attorney
A defense expert’s role could be to refute the state’s expert or otherwise provide the underlying rationale or basis for an argument in defense of an allegation or charge. The more qualified and reputable the expert, the more likely a judge and jury may be in believing that expert.
For a potential trial, you may want to have competent and qualified experts witnesses in Prince George’s County DUI cases. A defense attorney could challenge the qualifications of the prosecution’s expert and move to have the person either excluded or not accepted as an expert. Alternatively, an adept Prince George’s County DUI lawyer could call their own expert to refute the state’s case. Contact a DUI attorney that could fight tirelessly for your case and work to ensure that an expert witness could be put to good use.