California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Clotfelter, 279 Cal.Rptr.3d 487, 65 Cal.App.5th 30 (Cal. App. 2021):
We begin with the admissibility and parameters of expert witness testimony. "While lay witnesses are allowed to testify only about matters within their personal knowledge ( Evid. Code, 702, subd. (a) ), expert witnesses are given greater latitude .... An expert may express an opinion on a subject that is sufficiently beyond common experience that the opinion of an expert would assist the trier of fact. ( Evid. Code, 801, subd. (a).) In addition to matters within their own personal knowledge, experts may relate information acquired through their training and experience, even though that information may have been derived from conversations with others, lectures, study of learned treatises, etc.... When giving such testimony, the expert often relates relevant principles or generalized information rather than reciting specific statements made by others." ( People v. Sanchez (2016) 63 Cal.4th 665, 675, 204 Cal.Rptr.3d 102, 374 P.3d 320 ( Sanchez ).)
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