(AP) – The Missouri Senate has passed a bill that would
establish a new standard for vetting expert witnesses in jury trials.
The proposal, which passed Wednesday with a 21-11 vote, would allow judges to
decide whether experts’ testimony would be reliable and based on “sufficient
facts” and other criteria. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk.
Supporters of the proposal say it would deter people from filing frivolous
lawsuits and allow judges to act as gatekeepers for the quality of witnesses.
Opponents say it would make cases more expensive by requiring more time from
attorneys and more money to bring experts to a pretrial hearing.
It appears likely to become law. Republican Gov. Eric Greitens called on the
Legislature to adopt this standard in his State of the State address.
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