Llera v. LVMPD: Daubert Hearing

Context

On September 3rd, a Daubert hearing was held in an attempt for the defense, the officers’ side of the case, to exclude the expert testimony of a forensic pathologist and a video expert. These testimonies are important to the case as their insight into the events provides valuable context for the events surrounding Jorge’s murder and the action

The forensic pathologist’s deposition revealed that the bullet trajectories came from behind Jorge Gomez, not from the front, contradicting the officers’ claim that Jorge was facing them and allegedly pointed a weapon. Meanwhile, the video expert’s testimony may give important insight on the accuracy of the video enhancement and the events shown in the footage. The officers’ defense centered on bullet trajectory, evidence from Jorge’s vest, and body positioning, while debates over the video enhancement raised questions about the accuracy of the footage and the experts’ qualifications

The Result

The defense side, the officers, argued that both of these experts’ testimonies should be excluded from the evidence in trial. There were questions about the trajectory of the bullets and the events before and after Jorge’s murder. The doctor indicated that the bullets appeared to come through the back, demonstrating a use of excessive and deadly force, but they will only provide their presentation of the facts they understand. Meanwhile, the video expert stated that they will not give an opinion on what happened in the video, but offer context for how videos were enhanced.

The judge ultimately ruled to deny the motion to exclude both the expert forensic pathologist’s and video expert’s testimony without prejudice. This is good news for Jorge’s family, the plaintiff side, as the experts’ insights are valuable to establishing how the events of June 1, 2020 really happened and avoiding evidence

Including both experts means that both sides will be able to cross-examine them and understand their interpretation of events. Both sides will have the opportunity to cross-examine the expert witnesses, and it will be up to the jury to determine the credibility of each side’s testimony.

Stay Updated

The trial begins October 20, 2025. We will be providing daily updates throughout the trial to keep the community informed on all of the important events with the trial. Follow our posts on Instagram and our website updates for information as the trial moves forward.