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The case Frye vs. U.S. is significant for establishing what requirement regarding expert opinion?

  1. General acceptance in the scientific community

  2. Statistical relevance

  3. Documented case studies

  4. Plausible deniability

The correct answer is: General acceptance in the scientific community

The case Frye vs. U.S. is significant for its establishment of the "general acceptance" standard, which requires that expert opinions must be based on scientific techniques or theories that are widely accepted by the relevant scientific community. This case set a precedent for the admissibility of expert testimony in court, emphasizing that evidence presented by experts must be grounded in methodologies that have gained acceptance among professionals within the pertinent field. The significance of this standard lies in its intent to ensure that the methods used in forming expert opinions are reliable and have been tested by the scientific community, thus maintaining a level of credibility and integrity in scientific evidence presented in legal contexts. By focusing on general acceptance, the legal system aims to filter out untested or fringe methodologies that may not hold up under scrutiny.