Opinion ID: 522199
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of Expert Testimony

Text: 16 At the trial, Edelman offered the testimony of Dr. Robert Shuy, a linguistics expert, to prove that Edelman had not hired Young to kill his wife. Dr. Shuy testified that he had analyzed conversations in four murder-for-hire cases and had distilled ten common stages in such conversations. At a hearing conducted outside the jury's presence, Dr. Shuy stated that after analyzing tape-recorded conversations in this case, it was his opinion that Young was not authorized by any client to contract for Mrs. Edelman's murder. The trial court excluded the testimony on two grounds. One, the testimony would merely interpret language in ordinary usage and would not assist the jury. Two, any probative value of the testimony was outweighed by a substantial danger of undue prejudice and confusion. Edelman maintains that the trial court abused its discretion by excluding this expert testimony, and that the exclusion violated his sixth amendment right to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor. 17 Federal Rule of Evidence 403 gives the trial court broad discretion to exclude evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury. The trial judge, having heard the testimony, is in the best position to determine whether such testimony would be confusing or misleading to the jury. Absent an abuse of discretion, his ruling should stand. Considering the highly unusual nature of the opinion evidence proferred about matters within the common knowledge of the jury, there was no abuse of discretion here.