Criminal Testimony

Forensic pathologists are often called upon to give testimony in court, especially on those cases in which they had personally performed the autopsy on a deceased individual. Court testimony is often related to a criminal matter. It is important for the forensic pathologist to be unbiased during their testimony and to simply tell the facts of the case and give their expert professional opinion. The forensic pathologist is an independent investigator in the case and their court testimony should reflect this. Forensic pathologists may also be asked to give testimony on criminal cases in which they have served as a consultant in the case as opposed to the pathologist who performed the original autopsy. Either the district attorney’s office, public defender’s office or the accused’s private attorney may call the forensic pathologist to testify. It is important for the forensic pathologist to be well versed in how the court system works and to be a confident expert witness. The Pathology Group is very experienced at court testimony.

Many criminal cases require the assessment and testimony of a forensic medical expert.  In some cases, there may be a court requirement to receive the opinion of a medical expert before initiation of suit. In most circumstances, the facts surrounding a case review through forensic and medical investigations are a bit complex for non-medical professionals to evaluate or present in their cases.  A board-certified forensic pathologist can provide the understanding and evaluation of a case; this way, you receive an accurate determination of the details and a precise presentation of the actual or probable causes for cases that represent an incurred injury or fatality.

In some circumstances, our office will have already performed an autopsy of a deceased individual or a non-fatal injury evaluation for your case. When this is the situation, it is a natural fit to use our forensic criminal witness testimony service. However, when this is not the case, Dr. Havlik provides case reviews, case evaluations, second opinions and can, in turn, provide valuable expert criminal testimony to these situations as well.

Having an experienced professional expert witness can make your case. Dean Havlik, MD of The Pathology Group, P.C., has said experience and a proven track record ensure attorneys and civilian clients receive the highest quality of criminal forensic testimony available. Dr. Havlik provides criminal testimony in not only Grand Junction, Colorado but throughout the state of Colorado.