Case Name: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, etc., Appellant, v. James C. MOORE, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1992-07-10
Citations: 603 So. 2d 13
Docket Number: No. 91-1550
Parties: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, etc., Appellant, v. James C. MOORE, Appellee.
Judges: COBB, J., concurs specially with opinion.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 603
Pages: 13–15

Head Matter:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, etc., Appellant, v. James C. MOORE, Appellee.
No. 91-1550.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
July 10, 1992.
Geraldyne H. Carlton of Carlton & Carlton, P.A., Lakeland, for appellant.
William J. McLeod of McLeod, McLeod & McLeod, P.A., Apopka, for appellee.

Opinion:
PETERSON, Judge.
The testimony presented in this paternity suit amounted to an accusation by the child's mother and a denial by the accused defendant, James C. Moore. The judicial hearing officer found that both were equally credible and that, therefore, the plaintiff had failed to prove the case by a preponderance of the evidence.
While paternity evaluation reports that may have tipped the scales in favor of the plaintiff were filed in the record below, defendant's counsel successfully objected to their admission into evidence because no predicate had been laid for their admission. Such test results cannot simply be handed to the trier of fact as evidence without proper authentication and the proper predicate. Seiler v. Stringham, 567 So.2d 1078 (Fla. 4th DCA 1990); Ferguson v. Williams, 566 So.2d 9 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990); Dutilly v. Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services, 450 So.2d 1195 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984). In Ferguson, the court stated:
Although [paternity] test results may be admitted into evidence pursuant to section 742.12, the records reflecting those results must be properly authenticated and a proper predicate must be laid. Haphazard admission of paternity reports such as the ones in this case does a disservice to the parties, the children, and the legal process.
Ferguson, 566 So.2d at 11.
Appellant complains that the hearing officer's refusal to admit the evaluation reports was unfair because the defendant had failed to object to the admissibility of the written test results in advance of trial, and particularly because one of the two tests had been requested by the defendant. Appellant cites no authority for requiring advance notice of the intent to adhere to the rules of evidence, and we decline to establish one. We see no abuse of discretion in the court's refusal to grant rehearing. In the instant case, there were no extenuating circumstances such as were found in Joyner v. Hair, 485 So.2d 491 (Fla. 3d DCA 1986), or Locklear v. Sampson, 478 So.2d 1113 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985).
The order of the trial court is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
COBB, J., concurs specially with opinion.
HARRIS, J., dissents with opinion.