Case Name: STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Russell Terrell RHONE, Appellant
Court: Supreme Court of Missouri
Jurisdiction: Missouri
Decision Date: 1977-09-12
Citations: 555 S.W.2d 839
Docket Number: No. 59934
Parties: STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Russell Terrell RHONE, Appellant.
Judges: MORGAN, C. J., and HENLEY, FINCH and RENDLEN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 555
Pages: 839–848

Head Matter:
STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Russell Terrell RHONE, Appellant.
No. 59934.
Supreme Court of Missouri, en banc.
Sept. 12, 1977.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 11, 1977.
James C. Jones, Asst. Public Defender, 2nd Judicial Circuit, St. Louis, for appellant.
William F. Arnet, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, for respondent.

Opinion:
DONNELLY, Judge.
Defendant, Russell T. Rhone, was convicted of burglary in the second degree by a jury in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis. Defendant was sentenced by the trial judge under the Habitual Criminal Act to a term of 10 years imprisonment. Appeal was perfected by defendant to the Court of Appeals, St. Louis District, where the judgment of conviction was affirmed. Upon application of defendant, the cause was transferred here by order of this Court to be determined "the same as on original appeal." Mo.Const. Art. V, § 10.
This case arose as the result of a burglary observed in progress by Patrolman Thomas Schmidt while on foot patrol on Union Boulevard in the City of St. Louis on the evening of May 13,1974. Approximately 11:30 p.m. that evening, Patrolman Schmidt saw two men in a supermarket which was closed for business but which was well lighted. Officer Schmidt was unable to clearly see the facial features of either man; however, he was able to determine the type of clothing both men were wearing. Patrolman Schmidt testified that one of the men he saw in the market was wearing a dark blue shirt and plaid trousers. This description matched the clothing worn by the defendant when he was apprehended by motorcycle Patrolman Robert Porter who responded to a report of a burglary and who observed the defendant descending from the roof of the burglarized supermarket.
At the time the defendant was taken into custody by Officer Porter, Officer Schmidt was on the roof of the grocery store where he saw a hole that had been cut in the roof in order to gain entry into the building. Also, while on the roof, Patrolman Schmidt discovered and apprehended another man who was believed to be one of the men observed moments earlier inside the market. Patrolman Schmidt next saw the defendant as Patrolman Porter was escorting him from the side of the supermarket building to the alley at the rear of the building. Defendant was searched and found to be in possession of a .38 caliber handgun, which was identified by the owner of the store as belonging to him and kept in the store prior to the burglary.
Ms. Edith Struckhoff was called by the State to testify as the custodian of the records of the St. Louis Police Department Laboratory. Defendant's counsel objected to her reading from a report prepared by police department criminologist Lloyd Hill for the reason, among others, "that no evidence has been put on that the person who did this test is a qualified expert and she could not testify to that ." The trial court overruled the objection on the basis of State v. Taylor, 486 S.W.2d 239 (Mo.1972). The following questions were then asked and answers given in an attempt to qualify Lloyd Hill as an expert:
Q. Do you know a Lloyd Hill?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. What position did he hold at the Police Department Laboratory? A. He was a criminologist.
Q. What would the nature of his work as a criminologist entail? A. To examine and compare any clothing and debris that was brought in.
Q. All right. Would this be done in any specific method or procedures? A. Oh, yes.
Q. Do you know approximately how long he was employed by the Police Department Laboratory as a criminologist?
A. I would say approximately a year.
Q. Are there other criminologists employed there in addition to Lloyd Hill?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know approximately the number of them, how many? A. Approximately 5 or 6. Q. In order for them to be employed as a criminologist do they have to have certain qualifications as far as you know?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you know basically what those qualifications are? A. Well, they must have degrees in their field.
Q. Would you know the particular degree that Mr. Hill had at the time he worked for the Police Department Laboratory?
A. No, I don't know what degree he had.
Q. And is he presently employed by the St. Louis Police Department? A. No, he isn't.
After the qualifying evidence was elicited, Ms. Struckhoff proceeded to recite from the laboratory report concerning microscopic and spectrographic comparisons performed on the clothes the defendant wore on the night in question which led the preparer of the laboratory report, Mr. Hill, to conclude that the glass fibers and tar material found on the defendant's clothing came from the scene of the burglary. Ms. Struckhoff further stated that she had no personal knowledge of anything reflected in the report and she did not know how the tests were conducted. The laboratory report was offered and received into evidence.
The only assertion on appeal is that the "trial court erred in permitting Edith Struckhoff to testify as to the findings and opinions contained in the police laboratory report prepared by Lloyd Hill. Hill was not shown to be an expert in the subject matter of the report, and therefore his opinion and the report were inadmissible."
In Allen v. St. Louis Public Service Company, 365 Mo. 677, 285 S.W.2d 663, at 667 and 668 (1956), this Court took cognizance of The Uniform Business Records as Evidence Law, § 490.660-490.690, RSMo 1969, and saw "no reason why a proper expert medical opinion contained in a hospital record should not be accorded dignity equal to that of a similar opinion from the witness stand ⅜ ⅜ *." The Court then stated that it would presume the qualifications of a resident physician of the hospital.
We have found little law or comment on the question whether entries representing opinion evidence and made under the Uniform Act are admissible in the absence of a showing that the person making the entries is qualified as an expert. We have concluded that we should adopt the view "that entries in the form of opinions are not admissible if the declarant was not an expert making a statement concerning a matter within his expertise and as to which he would be competent to express an opinion if testifying in person." McCormick on Evidence, 2d Ed., § 307, p. 721; Standard Oil Co. v. Moore, 251 F.2d 188, 214 (9th Cir. 1957).
Vie turn then to a consideration of this case. We cannot presume that Lloyd Hill would have been "competent to express an opinion if testifying in person." Therefore, the determinative question is whether, under the evidence adduced, he was properly qualified.
It must be shown that a witness has "sufficient experience and acquaintance with the phenomena involved to testify as an expert." Hyman v. Great Atlanta & Pacific Tea Co., 359 Mo. 1097, 1101, 225 S.W.2d 734, 736 (1949). However, a "witness may be competent to testify as an expert though his knowledge touching the question at issue may have been gained by practical experience rather than by scientific study or research." Herman v. American Car & Foundry Co., 245 S.W. 387, 389 (Mo.App.1922). "The authorities generally agree that it would be impracticable to set any absolute standard as to the qualifications of an expert witness; and that of necessity the question must rest largely in the sound discretion of the trial court." State v. Rose, 249 S.W.2d 324, 332 (Mo.banc 1952).
According to the evidence adduced, Lloyd Hill had been employed approximately a year by the Police Department Laboratory as a criminologist. The nature of his work was to examine and compare any clothing and debris that was brought in. He must have had a degree in his particular field. In view of this evidence, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in ruling that Lloyd Hill qualified as an expert. Cf. State v. Taylor, 486 S.W.2d 239 (Mo.1972).
The judgment is affirmed.
MORGAN, C. J., and HENLEY, FINCH and RENDLEN, JJ., concur.
BARDGETT, J., dissents in separate dissenting opinion filed.
SEILER, J., dissents and concurs in separate dissenting opinion of BARDGETT, J.