A witness who qualifies as an expert because of knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify as an expert if scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the judge, jury, or other factfinder to understand the evidence or determine a contested fact issue.

But there is no rigid formula for determining whether a particular witness is qualified to testify as an expert. Generally there must be a fit between the subject matter at issue and the expert witness’s familiarity with the subject matter. And this determination is made by the judge, who acts as a gatekeeper to only allow reliable expert witness testimony to be heard and considered by the judge or jury.

In Wyoming, as in many jurisdictions, the admissibility of expert witness testimony is governed by rules that allow a witness with specialized knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education to provide testimony if it will help the court understand the evidence or a disputed fact. The determination of whether a witness qualifies as an expert is not based on a strict formula but rather on the relevance and reliability of the expert's knowledge to the subject matter of the case. The judge serves as a gatekeeper, assessing whether the proposed testimony is pertinent and whether the expert is sufficiently familiar with the topic to offer reliable testimony. This gatekeeping function is crucial to ensure that only relevant and reliable expert evidence is presented to the factfinder, whether it be a judge or a jury.