DOJ-OGR-00006244.jpg
Extracted Text (OCR)
Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 424 Filed 11/08/21 Page 33 of 41
More recently, federal courts have been more receptive to allowing expert testimony
beyond general principles of human recall on a case-by-case basis, depending on the special
circumstances or particular facts of a case and only when such opinions are based on reliable
science and fit the facts of the case. See, e.g., Libby, 461 F. Supp. 2d at 9-10 (“There is no clear
case authority, or absolute rule, on when an expert should be permitted to testify on issues
regarding memory and perception. . . . [T]here is no per se rule for or against the admissibility of
such testimony [on memory and perception]. And a court presented with a proffer of expert
testimony must determine its admissibility on a case-by-case basis.” (citing cases)); Shiraishi,
2019 WL 1386365, at *3 (discussing the need for the expert testimony to “fit” the evidence or
facts of the particular case); Shohola, 2019 WL 6053223, at *10-13 (“First, courts have recognized
that expert testimony concerning the vagaries of human recollection that is stated with sufficient
certainty, is grounded upon reliable science, and fits the facts of the case satisfies
the Daubert standard and should be admitted at trial. In contrast, expert opinions regarding the
science of human recollection that are not presented with certainty, lack scientific rigor, or possess
only a tenuous factual fit are often excluded from evidence.” (citing United States v. Mathis, 264
F.3d 321, 336 (3d Cir. 2001))).
Courts, however, must exercise “judicial oversight” in this area. See Shohola, 2019 WL
6053223, at *10-13. “Left unregulated, memory expert testimony can invade the fundamental
province of the jury—determining witness credibility,” and must be excluded as unduly prejudicial
Loftus’s testimony and noting that the issues identified were more appropriate to explore during
cross-examination).
29
DOJ-OGR-00006244
Extracted Information
Dates
Document Details
| Filename | DOJ-OGR-00006244.jpg |
| File Size | 669.8 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 94.8% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 1,944 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-03 17:08:49.552850 |