Under Rule 702, the four criteria the expert's testimony must satisfy include the knowledge helping the trier of fact, the basis on sufficient facts or data, the product of reliable principles and methods, and what?

• A. The expert's credentials must be relevant to the topic
• B. The expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case
• C. The testimony must be presented in a formal report
• D. The opinion must be universally accepted in the field

Answer: (D)

Rule 702 requires that an expert’s testimony be the product of reliable principles and methods, and that those principles and methods be reliably applied to the facts of the case. The fourth criterion captures this crucial link: the expert has reliably applied the identified reliable principles and methods to the specific facts at issue. This ensures the testimony isn’t just theoretical or based on generic methods, but is tailored to the actual evidence and circumstances of the case.

Credentials or relevance of the expert’s qualifications, while important for admissibility in general, are not one of the four listed criteria. Likewise, requiring a formal report isn’t itself a Rule 702 requirement—an expert may testify without a formal report in some situations. And universal acceptance in the field is not a mandatory standard under Rule 702; a method can be reliable even if it isn’t universally accepted, as long as its reliability is demonstrated.