Forensic expert evidence: research approaches to judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making

Cooper, Sarah Lucy and Shooter, Amelia and Scanlon, Paraic and Yates, Owen (2026) Forensic expert evidence: research approaches to judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making. In: Research Handbook on Forensic Science & Criminal Justice. R. (In Press)

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Abstract

In the United States, forensic experts routinely testify in legal proceedings to help solve crime. In doing so, forensic experts interact with key legal actors. Judges will determine the admissibility of the expert’s evidence, deliver jury instructions, and decide appeals. Lawyers will present and challenge the expert evidence, and jurors will weigh the evidence as part of determining a verdict. In this space, advances in DNA testing have led to concerns about the reliability of expert opinions concerning forensic comparison techniques like fingerprint and firearm analysis, which have served the criminal justice system for decades. The National Academy of Sciences has reported on these concerns, including the limitations of judges, lawyers, and jurors when it comes to understanding forensic science evidence. Against this backdrop, this chapter shares three research approaches developed by the authors to deepen understanding of judicial, juror, and lawyer decision-making about forensic science in context. It concludes with ideas for future research, including the relevance of these approaches to legal debates in England and Wales, Canada, and Australia.

Item Type:	Book Section
Dates:	Date Event 2026 UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	forensic evidence, experts, judges, jurors, lawyers, research methods
Subjects:	CAH16 - law > CAH16-01 - law > CAH16-01-01 - law
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > College of Law, Social and Criminal Justice
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	25 Mar 2025 14:52
Last Modified:	25 Mar 2025 14:52
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16265