In the Courtroom | Complexities in Litigation and Expert Testimony - Seminar in Forensic Toxicology
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Register
- Non-member - Tier I - $375
- Non-member - Tier II - $250
- Non-member - Tier III - $225
- Non-member - Tier IV - $200
- Member - Tier I - $300
- Member - Tier II - $175
- Member - Tier III - $150
- Member - Tier IV - $125
In partnership with:
Overview
In the Courtroom | Complexities in Litigation and Expert Testimony will take you into the courtroom, where the science of toxicology meets the complexities of litigation and expert testimony. This activity is designed to help participants develop the confidence and skills needed to serve as credible, effective expert witnesses.
Highlights include:
- Expert Consulting: What’s Your Approach? – Build a structured methodology for forming expert opinions and deciding which cases to accept.
- The Business of Being a Consulting Expert Witness – Learn how to manage the professional, ethical, and business aspects of expert consulting.
- Understanding Frye v. Daubert & the Federal Rules of Evidence – Prepare your methodology and testimony to meet admissibility standards.
- When Experts Disagree – Strategies for analyzing and responding to opposing opinions with professionalism and scientific rigor.
- Case Panel on Challenging Interpretations – Apply your expertise in scenarios ranging from family court to law enforcement-related fatalities.
- Beyond Excited Delirium – Explore drug-induced hyperactive delirium in complex forensic cases.
Through recorded expert panels, case-based learning, and practical examples, this course equips participants with tools to navigate the legal landscape of forensic toxicology testimony.
Continuing Education
Live and Enduring continuing education credits for Physicians and Pharmacists is provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare. Learners will receive up to 6.50 credits for learning and change.
Target Audience
This seminar is designed for forensic toxicologists, clinical toxicologists, physicians, pharmacists, laboratorians, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and trainees who want to enhance their skills in toxicology testimony and evidence interpretation.
Learner Objectives
By the end of Day 1, participants will be able to:
- Describe approaches to expert consulting and testimony in toxicology cases.
- Recognize key legal standards that guide admissibility of toxicology evidence.
Registration Rates
Registration includes:
- Access to all lecture recordings for 90 days
- Access to the speaker slides and Handouts
- 6.50 Continuing Education Certificate. Available credits: Continuing Medical Education (CME) & Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE).
Member Rates
Member Tier I: Full, Affiliate, International, Emeritus |
$300 |
Member Tier II: Fellows |
$175 |
Member Tier III: Residents, International - Developing Country |
$150 |
Member IV: Medical Students |
$125 |
Non-Member Rates
Non-member Tier I: Physicians, Pharmacists, Lawyers, "Other" |
$375 |
Non-member Tier II: Fellows, SPIs, Nurses, etc. |
$250 |
Non-member Tier III: Educators & Emergency Responders |
$225 |
Non-member IV: Residents & Students | $200 |
Interested in becoming an ACMT Member? Contact our Membership Team at [email protected]. Learn more at: www.acmt.net/membership
Package Rates
Sign up for the both days of the 2026 ACMT Seminar in Forensic Toxicology and save $50!
Refunds and Cancellations
For information on ACMT's Cancellation and refund policy, click here.
Questions?
For any questions, please email us at [email protected].
Syllabus
Expert Consulting: What is your Approach? | 77min
Charles McKay, MD, FACMT, Associate Clinical Professor, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
Dr. Charles McKay describes how a medical toxicologist provides expertise and testimony in legal proceedings. He also teaches a methodical approach to case review, explores differences in language used in daily practice and use in court, and helps define an “expert witness.”
The Business of being a Consulting Expert Witness | 42min
Teri Stockham, PhD, Forensic Toxicologist, Teri Stockham, Ph.D., Inc., Parkland, FL
Dr. Teri Stockham uses her background to outline the steps needed to establish and manage a consulting business, including navigating limitations of your expertise and case selection. She also reviews guidelines for opinions and testimony in Forensic Toxicology.
Understanding Frye v. Daubert & the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) | 58min
MJ Menendez, JD, Senior Fellow and General Counsel, Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, Willow Grove, PA
Dr. MJ Menendez demystifies Daubert, Frye, and progeny! Dr. Menendez also discusses medical expert witness contributions and the requirements of the Federal Rules of Evidence and Civil / Criminal Procedure that predicate testimony.
Looking for an Expert & Navigating an Expert through the Courtroom | 46min
E. Thomas McCarthy, Jr., JD, Attorney, Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, Grand Rapids, MI
Matthew L. Wikander, JD, Attorney, Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, Grand Rapids, MI
Dr. McCarthy and Dr. Wikander explain the unique and often misunderstood role an expert plays in the courtroom.
Evaluating Opposing Expert Opinions in Testimony | 33min
Madeleine J. Swortwood, PhD, Toxicology Practice Group Leader & Toxicology Expert, Robson Forensic, Dublin, OH
Dr. Swortwood explains the importance of reviewing and evaluating opposing expert opinions and how to have your own scientific conclusions while acknowledging alternative interpretations. Strategize by developing practical strategies for responding to counter-arguments and addressing weaknesses in your analysis.
Beyond Excited Delirium: Hyperactive Delirium with Agitation | 33min
James Gill, MD, Chief Medical Examiner, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner CT
Dr. James Gill differentiates terminology variations and causes for delirium, while identifying deaths involving hyperactive delirium.
Case Panel on Challenging Interpretations involving Hyperactive Delirium with Agitation | 29min
Panel
Stacey Hail, MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
James Gill, MD, Chief Medical Examiner, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner CT
Moderator
Donna Papsun, MS, D-ABFT-FT, Forensic Toxicologist & Business Scientist, NMS Labs, Horsham, PA
Dr. Stacey Hail and Dr. James Gill teach the integration of toxicology, autopsy, scene and timeline evidence to assess contributions from different stressors in complex investigations.
Building and Managing Expert Consulting Practice | 51min
Panel
Teri Stockham, PhD, Forensic Toxicologist, Teri Stockham, Ph.D., Inc., Parkland, FL
Charles McKay, MD, FACMT, Associate Clinical Professor, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
Moderator
Bryan S. Judge, MD, FACMT, Professor of Emergency Medicine; Medical Toxicologist, Michigan State University College of Medicine; Spectrum Health - Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, MI
Dr. Teri Stockham and Dr. Charles McKay describe establishing an expert consulting practice and discuss objectivity as it relates to being hired by one side of a legal dispute.
James Gill, MD
Chief Medical Examiner
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
James R. Gill MD is the Chief Medical Examiner of Connecticut, past Chair of the Forensic Pathology Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and a past President of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). He has faculty medical appointments at Yale, University of Connecticut, and Quinnipiac University. He did his pathology training at Yale and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and his forensic pathology fellowship at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Prior to Connecticut, he was the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for Bronx County. He has testified over 450 times in criminal and civil matters in State and Federal courts and has published over 100 scientific articles and book chapters, and two books on a variety of forensic pathology topics. He has particular interests in public health including drug intoxication deaths, infectious disease, fatal complications of therapy, and proper death certification.
Stacey Hail, MD
Associate Professor
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Stacey L. Hail, MD is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She currently serves as attending physician in the Parkland Hospital Emergency Department and the North Texas Poison Center. Dr. Hail received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Southern Methodist University in 1995. After receiving her Medical Degree at the Medical College of Georgia in 1999, she completed both her emergency medicine residency and medical toxicology fellowship at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Hail has a prolific forensic toxicology practice serving as an expert witness for attorneys throughout the United States. She has testified multiple times as a witness for the Department of Justice involving federal drug crimes. Her toxicology interests include methodology for cause of death determinations, sudden death in custody and the excited delirium syndrome, and the national opioid epidemic. Dr. Hail also has provided toxicology commentary for local and national news venues and for documentaries on the National Geographic channel, the BBC, and the Oxygen channel.
Bryan S. Judge, MD, FACMT
Professor of Emergency Medicine; Medical Toxicologist
Michigan State University College of Medicine; Spectrum Health - Grand Rapids
Bryan practices emergency medicine and medical toxicology at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI and emergency medicine at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium, MI. He is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine | Division of Medical Toxicology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. An avid outdoorsman, his first love is hunting in the mountains across the globe.
E. Thomas McCarthy, Jr., JD
Attorney
Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge
E. Thomas McCarthy, Jr. is a trial lawyer with more than 45 years of courtroom experience and a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Recognized by Best Lawyers in America in multiple practice areas, he has extensive expertise in cases where expert testimony is central. Tom earned his B.A. in Psychology with High Distinction from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from the University of Tennessee, and he has completed advanced training in mediation and negotiation at Harvard Law School. He is admitted to practice before the State Bar of Michigan and multiple U.S. District Courts, and he frequently teaches trial advocacy with a focus on the effective use and interpretation of expert witnesses.
Charles McKay, MD, FACMT
Associate Clinical Professor
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Dr. McKay was trained in Anatomic and Surgical Pathology, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology and was a Medical Director of Occupational Health and Medical Review Officer for a hospital system during more than 30 years of clinical practice, during which he provided toxicology consultation at 3 hospitals, directed a medical toxicology fellowship training program, and provided medical oversight of a regional poison control center. He provides medical legal consultation across the country on toxicology-related issues, and has testified in nearly 100 cases, many related to questions of alcohol- and drug-induced impairment.
MJ Menendez, JD
Senior Fellow and General Counsel
Center for Forensic Science Research and Education
M.J. Menendez, J.D. is Senior Fellow and General Counsel for the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. M.J. served on detail as the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Heroin, Opioid and Fentanyl Special Projects Coordinator from 2015 to 2019. M.J. served 13 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Colorado, 10 years as a state prosecutor in Jefferson County, Colorado, and 3 years as a state court judge in Jefferson County, Colorado. M.J. is passionate about achieving well-resourced excellence in medicolegal death investigations, and she proudly works with the National Association of Medical Examiners as Chair of Strategic Planning and Chair of the Forensic Pathology Shortage / Workforce Remediation Subcommittee.
Donna Papsun, MS, D-ABFT-FT
Forensic Toxicologist & Business Scientist
NMS Labs
Donna Papsun is a forensic toxicologist and business scientist with NMS Labs in Horsham, PA. She has dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Forensic & Investigative Science and a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology. She is also certified as a Diplomate in Forensic Toxicology through the American Board of Forensic Toxicology and is a member of both the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS).
Ms. Papsun has been with NMS Labs since 2008, first as a bench analyst before promotion to toxicologist in 2012. Ms. Papsun’s main area of interest is novel psychoactive substances or NPS. As one of the two leaders of NMS’s NPS strategy team, she continuously works to help maintain NMS’s leadership in identifying the newest trends in the changing landscape of the designer drug market and developing tests for their detection in forensic toxicology casework. Ms. Papsun also serves in a secondary role as a business scientist, working to align the technical and scientific expertise of NMS Labs with commercial efforts.
Teri Stockham, PhD
Forensic Toxicologist
Teri Stockham, Ph.D., Inc.,
Dr. Teri Stockham is a respected consultant, author and lecturer in the field of forensic toxicology. Over the past three decades, she has gained extensive education, training and experience both in the laboratory and the courtroom. The three degrees Dr. Stockham earned have all been focused in the specialty of forensic toxicology. She holds a Ph.D. from the Medical College of Virginia, and a Master’s degree from The George Washington University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Indiana State University. Her laboratory training, including the role as Chief Toxicologist for Broward County, Florida, complements her education and expertise. Dr. Stockham is experienced on the witness stand and has testified hundreds of times.
Dr. Stockham serves as a consultant to a number of law firms, providing her expertise for various court cases involving personal injury, insurance defense, probation/parole, court martial, DUI, workers compensation, child custody and drug-facilitated sexual assault. Her forensic toxicology services have encompassed a large number of clients who represent insurance companies, individuals, government agencies and healthcare providers.
Madeleine J. Swortwood, PhD
Toxicology Practice Group Leader & Toxicology Expert
Robson Forensic
Dr. Madeleine J. Swortwood is a nationally recognized toxicology expert affiliated with Robson Forensic, Inc. Her practice spans alcohol & drugs of abuse, pharmaceuticals, metals, carcinogens, inhalants, and novel psychoactive substances, among others, with extensive experience in casework, laboratory testing & research, and testimony. Dr. Swortwood holds a PhD in Chemistry from Florida International University and a B.A. in Biochemistry (Magna Cum Laude) from Duquesne University. She has served in academia, industry, and government roles, including as a forensic toxicologist for a medical examiner’s office and with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, publishing over 40 peer-reviewed articles and contributing expert testimony in civil and criminal matters. She is an active member of SOFT, AAFS, NSC-ADID, serves on the editorial board of Journal of Forensic Science, and holds leadership roles in various professional toxicology committees.
Matthew L. Wikander, JD
Attorney
Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge
Matthew Wikander is a shareholder and the chief executive officer of his firm, where he focuses his trial practice on commercial, product liability, and wrongful death/personal injury litigation. He has extensive experience handling complex, high-exposure matters in both federal and state courts across Michigan, including catastrophic injury, products liability, and aviation, construction, and premises cases. Matt also represents businesses and individuals in commercial disputes involving ADA accessibility, employment discrimination, trade secrets, and unfair trade practices, with additional experience in class action litigation. He earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Wayne State University, where he served as Vice Chancellor of the Moot Court Program. He is admitted to practice before the State Bar of Michigan, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Instructions
Once you have completed your registration:
- Click on the Contents tab. This is where you will be able to see all lectures and required content for this course.
- Watch all lectures and case panels. Learners will be required to watch at least 3/4 of the video before it will be marked as complete.
- Complete the Post-Test. These questions are based on content from the lectures to gauge your comprehension. It requires a 80% to pass.
- Complete the CE Survey. These questions are required to claim your CE certificate.
- Claim your CE certificate Once you have claimed your CE credit, you will not be able to change your CE certificate.
Full credit can only be claimed after completion of all required components.
Hardware/Software Requirements
Computer or Other Internet-Enabled Device; Internet Connection; Browser.
Materials
None.
Prerequisites
None.
Format
This is a self-guided course with CME and CPE.
Need Assistance or Have Questions?
For assistance logging in, accessing content, purchasing or completing Continuing Education credits, or for other questions, please contact us at [email protected] or visit our FAQ page.
If you are in need of accessible learning accommodations, please contact [email protected] for additional assistance.
Continuing Education
2026 ACMT Seminar in Forensic Toxicology: Day 1: In the Courtroom | Complexities in Litigation and Expert Testimony Live Virtual Event
Activity Overview
A live-in-person format fosters interactive learning, expert-led discussions, and hands-on application of toxicological principles, enhancing comprehension, engagement, and practical skills to achieve desired outcomes.
Target Audience
This activity is designed for an audience of physicians and pharmacists,
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Examine core principles of toxicology to both courtroom and laboratory settings.
- Communicate toxicology findings clearly and effectively in medical-legal contexts.
- Develop effective strategies for expert testimony and consultation by integrating scientific principles, case analysis, and best practices in forensic toxicology.
Criteria for Success
To obtain a certificate of completion, a score of 70% or better on the post-test is required. Please proceed with the activity until you have successfully completed this program, answered all test questions, completed the post-test and evaluation, and have received a digital copy of your certificate. You must participate in the entire activity to receive credit. There is no fee to participate in this activity. If you have questions about this activity,
If you have questions about this CE activity, please contact AKH Inc at [email protected]
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT). AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 6.50 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Pharmacists: AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare designates this continuing education activity for 6.50 contact hours.
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