Expert Witness

Being an expert witness in the field of computer forensics, you have a level of knowledge that is beyond the average knowledge of the society. Therefore, an expert’s experience and explanation on evidence is vital. The influence of an expert witness is so great that it is able to convince or dissuade the court, but it all boils down to one point: how you present yourself in court.

Appearance

It is always said “do not judge a book by its cover”, but if you notice carefully, we all never follow it. Even people in court such as judges and juries, they all do the same. Your appearance in court is crucial and it affects your credibility.

Firstly, you have to understand, court is a serious and a formal place; judges are usually conservative. Therefore, it is important that you dress appropriately and make sure you feel comfortable in them, the last thing you want to do is start fidgeting and adjusting your clothes constantly in the courtroom, which reflects unprofessional. Any tattoos should be properly covered up. For men, wear a suit with darker colors or conservative colors. Dark colors usually bring out self-confidence and authority; while conservative colors on the other hand, brings out credibility. For women, smart business or dress suit would make a wise choice. This would suggest that you are taking it seriously. Never appear in court with smart casuals such as jeans and shirt; this greatly reduces credibility and your impression on the judges and juries. As for jewelry, make them minimal and only wear pieces that are moderate.

Next in line, would be grooming. Always make sure your clothes are clean and neatly pressed with minimal creases. Head hair must be neatly combed back and excessive facial hair should be groomed. This would reflect responsibility and credibility on you.

Lastly when you’re inside a courtroom, your attitude tells a lot, from the way you stand, to the way you walk, talk and sit. Everyone who look at you would evaluate silently in their mind, a poor attitude may hurt your testimonial. When your testimonial is hurt, your opinions on the cases would decrease reliability and people may find it hard to believe on what you are trying to deliver to them.

Communication

Communication is made up of:

Words

Although an expert witness’s role is to explain evidence found, the explanation should be made in simple vocabularies. The general people in the court may not understand such profound computer language. An expert witness must be prepared to do a lot of explanation in court, choosing right words to use is important. Using more common words in explanation would make your presentation more successful and effective.

To further increase professionalism, avoid using words like “Hmmmmm”, “You know…”, “Sure”, “Wow” etc.

Tone

Because of the large amount of explanation needed, an expert witness would seem to look more like a teacher then a witness. This is true, but watch-out on your tone. Avoid being over-confident, rude and sarcastic but be helpful and as respectful as possible.

Body Language

Body Language is a unique way of non-verbal communication using body movements, gestures and facial expressions. It is read by looking and observing a person and that is what everyone in the courtroom will be doing. They look at you and decide if you are being sincere. A tip would be to look at the person when they are talking to you. This would help by making you look interested in answering their query. Be alert on your body language; try to avoid crossing your arms which makes you look unapproachable.

“It is not what you say; it is how you say that counts.”