[Locomotive Breath]

The bigger question is whether a pathetic whore of an expert hired by Nigong will be allowed to speculate about whether the photos are authentic.

There is no question - count on it. And the problem will be that neither the judge or jury will know that he's "a pathetic whore of an expert". He'll look and sound just as credible as the actual expert hired by the defense who is trying to prove a negative - the photos weren't altered.

[streeeetwise]

That is where the integrity of the Judge would come in. The Judge is the gatekeeper on expert testimony, subject to judicial review. An expert has to have experience and build upon peer reviewed science or expertise. So, a retired FBI agent who had examined thousands of digital photos is an expert. A Durham detective who bought his first camera phone last year is not. While I am apalled by Nifong, I am not ready to conclude that every person of authority in Durham is without standards.