Expert Witnesses and the Ed Buck Case

Here at Orion Expert Network, our focus is typically on civil litigation, as most of our clients are medium- and big-sized law firms that work with corporate clients, or on behalf of individuals who are litigating against a corporate or business entity. However, in the wider world of the law, there are often extremely interesting cases that touch upon the work of expert witnesses in the area of criminal law. So today at OEN, we’d like to take a brief look at the recent conviction of Ed Buck, and the role that expert witnesses played in his trial.

Ed Buck is a 66-year-old resident of West Hollywood, California, and a small-time donor to a number of prominent Democratic politicians, such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Adam Schiff. Buck has been a resident of West Hollywood for decades and has also been involved in local politics during this time period, including running unsuccessfully for the West Hollywood City Council in 2007.

Buck has also been found to have a predilection for risky sex. In what is known as “party-and-play,” Buck would invite homeless and destitute men, most of them African American, over to his apartment, where he would inject them with crystal methamphetamine (party) and then engage in sex acts with the men, who were often discombobulated or unconscious (play). Along with crystal methamphetamine, which is said to lower inhibitions and increase sex drive, Buck would also ply his victims with GBH, best known as a date-rape drug.

During his trial, Buck claimed that he never engaged in non-consensual activities. However, two men died at his apartment due to crystal methamphetamine overdoses, which expert witnesses were able to prove conclusively were the causes of the men’s deaths. Just as with the Derek Chauvin trial, it was incumbent on the experts to prove that these men, who had other health issues just as George Floyd did, were killed by Buck’s injections. Furthermore, Buck was viewed as having a substantial economic advantage over these men, which he exploited to his benefit.

The first two times, two years apart, that men died in Ed Buck’s apartment, he was let go by police without charges being filed. It was only after a third man almost died due to the same party and play behavior by Buck that he was arrested and the trial was held. It is likely that in the future the exploitation and abuse of Black men in situations such as these, or as in the Derek Chauvin case, will take an even more prominent place in the stories playing out in our courtrooms.

If your client is suing for justice, just as George Floyd’s and Ed Buck’s victims’ families were, then call OEN today. You will need a team of expert witnesses on your side that can provide the proper medical cause of death that will ensure your client receives justice and that the evil acts of those with money and power do not go unpunished.

Call Orion Expert Network directly at (617) 528–0055 or email us at info@orionexpertnetwork.com to get started on your expert witness search today.