The admissibility of expert testimony on the battered woman syndrome in homicide cases

Abstract

This paper examines the issue of the battered woman syndrome in homicide cases where the woman killed her abuser. In particular, state appellate court decisions where the admissibility of the battered woman syndrome was a central issue are analyzed to determine the extent to which courts have been admitting or excluding expert testimony in these cases. Our findings suggest that although courts today are more willing to accept expert testimony on the battered woman syndrome, there is a lack of uniformity among the courts regarding the criteria utilized to determine admissibility.