Category: Law Enforcement Expert Witness
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Expert Testimony on the Professional Standard of Law Enforcement Officers Excluded
Plaintiff Suzanne Stewart filed a gender discrimination and retaliation suit against the City of Arcola after Mayor Fred Burton terminated Stewart’s employment as “a direct result of policy violations related to insubordination and [her] unprofessionalism.” Plaintiff filed a motion to strike the opinion of Defendant’s expert Michael W. Thaler. Law Enforcement Expert Witness Michael W. Thaler…
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Law Enforcement Expert Permitted to Testify on the General Reasonableness of Police Conduct
This lawsuit can be traced back to an incident that took place on November 11, 2019, in which Phoenix Police Department Officer Brittany Smith-Petersen shot and injured Plaintiff Krish Singh during a law-enforcement encounter. Defendants brought a partial Daubert motion seeking to preclude certain portions of the intended testimony of Plaintiff’s use-of-force expert, Roger Clark. Law Enforcement Expert Witness…
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Law Enforcement Expert’s Opinion on Actual Events and Police Tactics Admitted
Plaintiff Gene Raymond Bell, Jr. claimed that Defendant Officers Anthonie Korkis, Arthur Bridgeforth, and Thomas Langewicz, II used excessive force while arresting him during a traffic stop on June 23, 2019 in Southfield, Michigan. Plaintiff’s second motion in limine requested the Court to exclude or limit the testimony of Dr. Steven Amey, whom Defendants intended…
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Law Enforcement Expert May Provide Testimony about the National and SLMPD Standards for the Use of Pepper Spray
Rev. Darryl Gray is suing the City of St. Louis and two St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) detectives—Ronald Vaughan and Larry Wentzel—for violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights, as well as a variety of state law torts. To support his constitutional claims, Rev. Gray hired Greg Meyer to give his expert opinion on…
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Law Enforcement Expert Witness Cannot Opine on the Duties of Railway Police Officers in Idaho
On February 28, 2022, Adam Bennett stole a ride on a BNSF railcar in Kootenai County. BNSF Special Agent Daniel Mattson intercepted him and was informed by police dispatch—erroneously—that he had a warrant for his arrest in Washington but not Idaho. Based on this information, and COVID procedures governing misdemeanor arrests, Agent Mattson released Bennett…
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Court Admits Law Enforcement Expert Witness’ Opinion on Police Tactics for Dealing with Pet Dogs
On September 6, 2018, Rochester Police Department (“RPD”) officers Jeremy Nellist (“Nellist”) and Joshua P. Kelly (“Kelly”) traversed through the backyard of Plaintiff Erin Gursslin’s (“Plaintiff”) property on St. Paul Street, in the City of Rochester (the “City”), during the course of executing a search warrant at a location three properties north of Plaintiff’s home.…
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Law Enforcement Expert Witness’ Opinion About Officer’s Demeanor Has Marginal Relevance
Joshua Briggs was arrested for Disorderly Conduct and Harassment because he called Anchorage Police Officer Orean Yi a pig. Briggs filed this lawsuit alleging that he was arrested without probable cause in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights. Officer Yi asserted that he had probable cause to arrest Briggs because Briggs was making sufficient…
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Psychiatry Expert Witness’ Rebuttal Testimony Admitted Despite Claims of Untimely Disclosure
Plaintiff Rebecca Leeper filed a Complaint for Damages against the Defendants, the City of Tacoma and Tel Thompson. The case arose from injuries she sustained in a sexual assault on July 17, 2018. In her Complaint, Leeper alleged that the City had prior knowledge of Thompson’s dangerous conduct, including a documented history of confrontational behavior and inappropriate sexualized…
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Law Enforcement Expert Witness Allowed to Discuss Intoxication’s Impact on the Ability to Communicate
As personal representative to the estate of Joshua Sarrett, Plaintiff Derek Stenson brings federal and state law claims against King County and Jacob Leenstra, a Sherriff’s Deputy, who shot and killed Sarrett on September 19, 2020, while responding to a request for help at Sarrett’s residence. On September 19, 2020, Sarrett’s sisters, Chantal Capps and…
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Law Enforcement Expert Witness’ Testimony on Officers’ Actions Excluded
The present lawsuit revolves around Plaintiff Van Aelsytn’s claims of civil rights violations and malicious prosecution against Defendants Coleman Sparks and Scott Carnes. Both Defendants were officers with the Versailles Police Department and were involved in an investigation that led to domestic violence charges against Van Aelsytn. However, the Plaintiff possessed evidence suggesting his innocence.…
