Expert Witness
A witness qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education to give opinion testimony on specialized matters.
Unlike lay witnesses, experts may offer opinions based on specialized knowledge and may rely on facts not themselves admissible if experts in the field reasonably rely on such facts. An expert may state an opinion on an ultimate issue, except that in a criminal case an expert may not opine on whether the defendant had the requisite mental state (Rule 704(b)).
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