Romero_Trial_Transcript_8_25_04_53_2

8-25-04 Trial Transcript
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1 believe she is qualified.
2 THE COURT: You may.
3 MR. Van AELSTYN: In broad outline, the areas in
4 which we seek to have Professor Karl qualified as an expert
5 are the political nature of El Salvador during the relevant
6 periods here, broadly speaking. I think we have already
7 established that to some degree.
8 In particular, the patterns and practices of the
9 Salvadoran military, and also Salvadoran death squads, how
10 they worked, who their targets were, what their ideology was,
11 et cetera.
12 So the government, politics, military, death squads;
13 and then, finally, with regard to the facts of this case, we
14 are seeking her expert opinion with regard to the evidence
15 that implicates the defendant in this matter based upon her
16 expertise reviewing the kinds of evidence that are before this
17 Court; and lastly, the nature of the damages that have been
18 caused by the assassination of Archbishop Romero, which,
19 again, is based upon her expertise in political affairs,
20 military, and, in particular, the understanding of the death
21 squads.
22 THE COURT: As to the second area of opinion, you
23 have described that as implication of the defendant in this
24 matter by evidence.
25 And the Court's understanding is that an expert may
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1 opine in the areas of expertise, but not on legal conclusions.
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