expert witnesses

On appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s judgment that appellant was guilty of rape and reduced his sentence from life imprisonment to 50 years imprisonment. The victim, an 11-year-old girl, stated that the appellant, 38, forced her into his room and had nonconsensual sexual intercourse with her. The court affirmed the lower court’s admission in evidence of the testimony of the victim’s mother, who testified that she saw blood on the victim’s skirt and questioned the victim about the incident.

In People v. Warner, 514 Mich. 41, 22 N.W.3d 1 (2024), the defendant was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against his minor stepdaughter. He was interrogated by law enforcement three times, initially maintaining his innocence before signing a confession prepared by the police. At trial, the defense requested public funds to hire an expert witness on false confessions to challenge the reliability of the confession. The trial court denied the request, and the Eaton Circuit Court affirmed the conviction on appeal.