Home Blog Rule 702 (Federal Rules of Evidence: All You Need To Know)

Rule 702 (Federal Rules of Evidence: All You Need To Know)

Looking for Rule 702?

What is Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence all about?

What are the essential elements you should know!

Keep reading as we have gathered exactly the information that you need!

Let’s dig into our Federal Rules of Evidence knowledge!

Are you ready?

Let’s get started!

What Is Rule 702

“Rule 702” refers to Rule 72 of the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) titled “Testimony by Expert Witness”.

In essence, under the evidence Rule 702, a witness is permitted to testify in the form of an opinion if the witness meets certain qualification criteria.

Typically in court, you have two types of witnesses:

  • Fact witnesses 
  • Expert witnesses

Fact witnesses are those who testify as to the “facts” of the case needed to establish a legal position.

Fact witnesses can only testify as to factual elements such as what they saw, heard, did, or experienced.

Expert witnesses are individuals who are legally qualified to provide an “opinion” based on the facts of the case.

An opinion is an interpretation or analysis of facts by someone qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable in the field.

Although every state has the power to adopt its own rules with respect to the admissibility of evidence, most have adopted the Federal Rule 702 or a modified version of it.

Frye Standard

In 1975, the Federal Rules of Evidence was adopted which included rules regarding expert testimony.

Prior to that, the Frye Standard provided the “general acceptance” test for a person to be qualified as a witness.

In 1923, in the matter Frye v. United States, the District of Columbia Court provided guidelines with regards to the admissibility of expert witness.

Particularly, the court held that the scientific principles used by the expert should be sufficiently established and have gained general acceptance in their field.

The Frye standard was applied in many state courts and federal courts until the adoption of the FRE 702.

Daubert Standard

In 1993, the United States Supreme Court, in the matter Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., held that Rule 702 provides the legal basis for the courts to consider the admissibility of expert testimony.

Particularly, the Supreme Court indicated that Rule 702 supersedes the Frye Standard’s “general acceptance” test.

In Daubert, the court established a non-exhaustive list of factors that the courts must consider to evaluate whether or not an expert witness or opinion should be admitted as evidence.

The 702 Rule was broadly amended to allow for the courts to interpret the factors laid out by the Supreme Court.

Now, let’s look at the ‘Rule 702’ more closely.

Rule 702 of The Federal Rules of Evidence Overview

As of the writing of this post, the Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 702 reads as follows:

A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if: (a) the expert’s scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue; (b) the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data; (c) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and (d) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.
Author

The wording of the rule is clear.

A witness is considered to be qualified as an expert by “knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education” if:

  • If the expert’s specialized knowledge can help the court better understand the evidence 
  • The expert bases his or her opinion on sufficient facts 
  • The expert’s opinion is the fruit of reliable principles and methods
  • The principles and methods are reliably applied to the case 

Federal Rule 702 Takeaways 

So what is the evidence Rule 702?

Let’s look at a summary of our findings.

FRE Rule 702 (Fed R Evid 702)

  • The objective of Rule 702 provides the legal basis to the court in assessing the admissibility of expert testimony 
  • Expert testimony and evidence can be admissible as evidence when it is established that his or her opinion is relevant and reliable 
  • Prior to the Evidence Rule 702, the courts used the Frye Standard as admissibility criteria where a scientific principle should have been generally accepted by a good proportion of peers in the relevant scientific field 
  • In Dubert vs Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc, the courts provided a list of factors for the courts to assess in determining the admissibility of expert testimony 
Burden of proof 
Circumstantial evidence 
Court reporter
Daubert standard 
Direct evidence 
Discovery rule 
Document request
Forensic evidence 
Frye standard
Motion in limine 
Motion to strike
Motion to suppress 
Rule 701
Rule 703
Rule 704
Rule 705
Rule 706
Rules of evidence
Author
Accident expert
Accounting expert
Case management
Choice of law 
Class action 
Erie doctrine
Expert witness
False Claims Act
Federal Diversity Jurisdiction
Forum non conveniens 
Hearsay 
Lanham Act
Medical expert 
Pari delicto 
Personal injury expert
Privilege 
Tax expert 
Trier of fact
Author

Editorial Staffhttps://lawyer.zone
Hello Nation! I'm a lawyer and passionate about law. I've practiced law in a boutique law firm, worked in a multi-national organization and as in-house counsel. I've been around the block! On this blog, I provide you with golden nuggets of information about lawyers, attorneys, the law and legal theories. Enjoy!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

What Is A Motion To Dismiss (All You Need To Know)

What Is A Motion To Dismiss (All You Need To Know)

What Is A Demurrer (Explained: All You Need To Know)

What Is A Demurrer (Explained: All You Need To Know)

Editor's Picks

Negligent Homicide (Legal Definition: All You Need To Know)

Negligent Homicide (Legal Definition: All You Need To Know)

Medical Malpractice (Overview: What It Is And How It Works)

Medical Malpractice (Overview: What It Is And How It Works)