The Science Bench Book: Teaching Judges about their Role as Scientific Gatekeepers

Most of the forensic science portrayed on CSI and Forensic Files is wrong. Yet much of this same suspect evidence is admitted into courtrooms across the United States. This is true in part because judges do not come to the bench with a deep understanding of science and may be inclined to accept expert scientific testimony long after the scientific community has discredited it. To prevent this injustice, they do not need to become scientists; rather, they need to have a detailed understanding of their role in admitting scientific evidence.

The National Judicial College and Justice Speakers Institute, LLC have just published the Science Bench Book for Judges. This bench book will give the judiciary a desperately needed tool to assist it in making better decisions about scientific and expert evidence.

This session will show how the Science Bench Book will help educate judges about their role as scientific evidence gatekeepers. It will also give presiding judges and court executives strategies on how to implement and teach trial judges about their role as gatekeepers. Video examples and exercises on real-world experiences will be presented.