Evaluating and Admitting Expert Opinion Testimony in Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions
Abstract
Recent Research shows that much of the expert evidence offered by prosecutors in child sexual abuse trials is unreliable. The Issue of the reliability of expert evidence in child sexual abuse trials has already reached the Supreme Court, Which in Idaho v. Wright mandated that courts develop criteria of reliability to test expert evidence before admitting it in child sexual abuse trials when a defendant's Sixth Amendment Confrontation right is implicated. This Note provides courts guidelines for assessing the validity of an abuse investigation to determine when expert evidence from an investigative interview should be admissible. (Author Text)
Description
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Keywords
child abuse, child sexual abuse, experts, court, law, guidelines
Citation
Younts, D. (1991). Evaluating and Admitting Expert Opinion Testimony in Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions. Duke Law Journal, 41, 691-739.