California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Stevens, A130778 (Cal. App. 2012):
Defendant's objection fails on its merits in any event. Our review of trial court determinations with respect to expert opinion evidence is deferential: "Where expert opinion evidence is offered, much is left to the discretion of the trial court. [Citation.] The trial court is given wide latitude in determining the qualifications of an expert. That determination will not be disturbed on appeal except for a manifest abuse of discretion, i.e., where ' " 'the evidence shows that a witness clearly lacks qualification as an expert . . . .' " ' [Citation.] An individual is qualified to testify as an expert 'if he [or she] has special knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education sufficient to qualify him [or her] as an expert on the subject to which his [or her] testimony relates.' " (People v. Mendibles (1988) 199 Cal.App.3d 1277, 1295 (Mendibles), disapproved on other grounds in People v. Soto (2011) 51 Cal. 4th 229, 248, fn. 12.)
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.