The Supreme Court is considering whether prosecutors can use expert testimony to infer that individuals convicted of being drug mules generally know what they are transporting, as in the case of Delilah Guadalupe Diaz, who was found with methamphetamine in her car. Diaz, who claims she didn't know about the drugs, is appealing her drug trafficking conviction. The justices expressed skepticism about both sides' interpretations of the law, with indications that the government could ultimately prevail. The case raises questions about the admissibility of expert testimony regarding a defendant's mental state in drug trafficking cases.
After a 5-year legal battle, arcade gamer Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong and other records have been reinstated by Twin Galaxies following a settlement in a defamation lawsuit. The decision was influenced by expert testimony from USC's Dr. Michael Zyda, which argued that it's impossible to definitively prove whether the recordings come from legitimate original hardware due to video noise and hardware degradation. While Mitchell sees this as a win, the site has not definitively addressed the allegations of falsified records, and the reinstated scores are placed in a historical database rather than the main website.
Former President Donald Trump has lost his bid to dismiss his civil fraud case for the fifth time as Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron denied his request for a directed verdict. Engoron emphasized that "a lie is still a lie" and rejected the arguments made by Trump's experts regarding the disclosure of his assets. The court is now in recess until early 2024, with legal briefs due on January 5 and closing arguments scheduled for January 11.
The final day of the Colorado trial challenging former President Donald Trump's eligibility to seek office again focused on expert testimony regarding the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause. Trump's legal team called retired law professor Robert Delahunty as a witness to rebut the testimony of Indiana University law professor Gerard Magliocca. Delahunty, who had never given expert testimony before, argued that the clause's definition of "engaging in insurrection" was more restricted than Magliocca suggested. Delahunty also endorsed the argument that the phrase "officer of the United States" in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not include the president. The trial concluded with closing arguments expected to be heard on November 15, and a ruling by November 17.
