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The case that established the standard for expert testimony in court based on general acceptance is Frye v United States. This case, decided in 1923, introduced what is often referred to as the "Frye Standard." The ruling required that scientific evidence presented in court must be sufficiently established and widely accepted within its relevant scientific community.

The context of the Frye decision is important because it emphasizes that for expert testimony to be admissible, it needs to reflect techniques and methodologies that are not only reliable but also recognized by the general scientific community. This consideration created a foundational criterion for evaluating the admissibility of expert evidence, leading to its ongoing influence in legal proceedings well into the present day.

In contrast, subsequent cases like Daubert and Kumho Tire addressed the shortcomings of the Frye standard by providing a more flexible framework for assessing evidence, focusing more on the relevance and reliability of the testimony rather than strict general acceptance. General Electric v Joiner further reiterated the importance of the trial court's gatekeeping role regarding expert testimony. However, the original establishment of the general acceptance principle is firmly rooted in the precedents set by the Frye case.