Expert Witnesses

Background

In a trial involving expert witnesses, a series of events occur according to an agreed upon schedule. In Kitzmiller, each side named six expert witnesses on March 1, 2005. On April 1, expert reports were produced by each expert. Rebuttal experts were then named, and rebuttal expert reports, if any, were filed on May 15. Depositions were scheduled between May and August.

The purpose of an expert report is to disclose the opinions of the expert, and the evidence upon which he or she will rely. This report is used by opposing counsel for preparation for depositions and trial testimony. At trial, experts are qualified to testify only about their specific topics of expertise, and their testimony is supposed to be restricted to the approximate content of the expert report.

Expert witnesses for Plaintiffs

Barbara Forrest, PhD
Professor of Philosophy, Southeastern Louisiana University
Expert on the ID movement's goals and history
Expert Report: 2005-04-01
Supplemental Report: 2005-07-29. Appendix A to Forrest's report, showing direct text parallels between "intelligent design" and "creationist" drafts of Pandas.

John F. Haught, PhD
Theology Professor, Georgetown University
Theology/religion expert
Expert Report: 2005-04-01

Kenneth R. Miller, PhD
Professor of Biology, Brown University
Biology expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-30

Brian Alters, PhD
Associate Professor of Education, McGill University
Education/pedagogy expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-30

Kevin Padian, PhD
Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Curator, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley
Paleontology/evolution expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-30

Robert Pennock, PhD
Associate Professor of Science and Technology Studies and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University
Philosophy of science expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-31

Rebuttal expert for Plaintiffs

(Rebuttal experts are named after the initial set of expert reports are filed)
Jeffrey Shallit, PhD (deposed, but did not testify at trial due to Dembski's withdrawal)
Professor of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, Ontario
Rebuttal of Dembski: 2005-05-16

Expert witnesses for Defendants

Michael Behe, PhD
Professor of Biochemistry, Lehigh University
DI fellow, biochemistry/intelligent design expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-24
Rebuttal of Miller: 2005-05-15
Rebuttal of Padian: 2005-05-15

John Angus Campbell (withdrew before deposition)
Professor, Department of Communication, University of Memphis
DI fellow, education/rhetoric of science
Expert Report: 2005-03-29

Dick M. Carpenter II, PhD (deposed, but did not testify at trial)
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, University of Colorado
Defense education expert, Focus on the Family guest
Expert Report: 2005-3-24
Rebuttal of Alters and Padian: 2005-5-16

William Dembski (withdrew before deposition)
Associate Research Professor, Baylor University (at time of report)
DI fellow, biochemistry/intelligent design expert
Dembski has posted his withdrawn expert and rebuttal reports on his website
Rebuttal of five of the first six plaintiff experts (all but Alters): 2005-05-14

Scott Minnich, PhD
Associate Professor of Microbiology, University of Idaho
DI fellow, microbiology/intelligent design expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-31

Warren A. Nord, PhD (deposed, but did not testify at trial)
Director, Program in the Humanities and Human Values, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lecturer in Philosophy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
religion/education expert
Expert Report: 2005-03-29

Rebuttal experts for Defendants

(Rebuttal experts are named after the initial set of expert reports are filed)
Steve Fuller, PhD
Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick
Rebuttal of first six plaintiff experts: 2005-05-13

Stephen Meyer (withdrew before deposition)
Director, Discovery Institute Center for Science and Culture (the "intelligent design" program at Discovery Institute)
Rebuttal of Pennock, Forrest, Alters and Padian: 2005-05-16

Notes

1. Barbara Forrest filed a supplemental expert report analyzing documents produced in a subpoena to the Foundation for Thought and Ethics, including unpublished creationist drafts of the "intelligent design" textbook Of Pandas and People.

2. During the trial in October 2005, the Discovery Institute attempted to include Meyer's expert report in a Discovery Institute amicus brief filed with the court. Because Meyer had been withdrawn from the case and his testimony would therefore not be subject to cross-examination, the judge ordered that the amicus brief be stricken. The Discovery Institute then submitted a second amicus which does not include Meyer's expert report.

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