An expert is someone who is perceived by others to possess knowledge and/or technique in a specialized field of study or activity beyond that of the average person. Typically an expert has formal credentials or academic degrees and has avoided saying anything that is politically incorrect. Often experts rely on liberal influence inherent in university departments, government grants, and/or decisions by attorneys in retaining them for legal cases.
The U.S. Supreme Court began to limit the use of expert testimony in trials in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Subsequent decisions have placed additional limits on the use of experts in trials, but they still exert enormous influence on juries.