Supreme Court Clarifies Expert Testimony Rule in Drug Case (1)

The US Supreme Court clarified a rule on expert witness testimony that prohibits them from giving an opinion on a defendant’s state of mind.

In a 6-3 ruling by Justice Clarence Thomas on Thursday weighing in on the question of criminal intent or mens rea, the court said expert witnesses can testify on what most defendants would typically know when an offense was being committed.

The decision that crossed ideological lines agreed with prosecutors that their expert witness didn’t go too far when telling a jury that drug dealers typically don’t entrust large quantities of narcotics to “blind mules.” Those ...