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United States District Court,
Northern District of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
See County Courthouse
The Federal Courthouse in Gainesville serves
as both a courthouse and a post office. It opened in 1965
and was built for $2,000,000. A key feature of the courthouse
is the Great Seal Mottoes signifying strength, duration, and
the eye of providence.
Jurors' Perceptions of Experts
Jurors have become skeptical about the role of expert witnesses
and the degree to which they provide impartial testimony.
Most jurors believe experts' opinions automatically favor
the side that has retained them, with plaintiffs' experts
exaggerating the seriousness of damages and defense experts
minimizing them. Magnus Research Consultants have surveyed
545 jury eligible citizens regarding their opinion of expert
witnesses. The majority of those surveyed (63%) agreed with
the statement "Expert Witnesses are hired guns whose
testimony will always favor the side that hires them."
In the hundreds of mock trials we have conducted, we often
hear jurors discuss experts' "biased" opinions and
the need to decide the case based on other factors such as
common sense. Overall, jurors' suspicions of experts has a
potentially damaging effect on a variety of civil cases.
Contact Magnus to learn how to increase
your experts' credibility among jurors.
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