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The Recognition of an Accused's Constitutional Right to Introduce Expert Testimony Attacking the Weight of Prosecution Science Evidence: The Antidote for the Supreme Court's Mistaken Assumption in California v. Trombetta

Abstract

In California v. Trombetta, after testing physical evidence obtained from an accused, the police innocently destroyed the evidence and thereby prevented a defense retest. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court held that the prosecution could introduce inculpatory scientific testimony about the test. The Court assumed that there would be a fair adversary balance at trial because the defense could introduce rebuttal evidence attacking the weight of the prosecution's scientific testimony. In this article, the authors demonstrate that the Court's assumption was mistaken and analyze the evidentiary implications of the mistake.

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33 Ariz. L. Rev. 59 (1991)

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Authors

Edward J. Imwinkelried (University of California, Davis)
Robert G. Scofield (Scofield & Volk)

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