The use of expert witnesses has become an integral and indispensable aspect of American litigation, and it is often the side with the best expert who wins the day.
The use of science in the courtroom to advise judges and juries on technical and scientific issues which bear on the arrival at a just and fair outcome was, and still is, a controversial subject.
The use of expert testimony in American litigation has grown exponentially since it came into focus, and the use of experts is now frequently used to place into evidence opinions and circumstances related to opinion, which would not otherwise have been put into evidence.
The sale of expert testimony began to grow during the mid-19th Century, adding fuel to the fire of a new litigation industry.
Throughout the 20th Century, American courts and legislatures made numerous efforts at reforming the business of selling forensic opinions which are truly not based in sound science, also known as ‘junk science.’