Opinion ID: 1736103
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 23

Heading: Exclusion of Moore's Testimony

Text: Tipp argues that the county court erred in excluding the testimony of Moore, her designated expert witness, at the May 2005 hearing. In proceedings where the Nebraska Evidence Rules apply, the admissibility of evidence is controlled by such rules; judicial discretion is involved only when the rules make such discretion a factor in determining admissibility. Roth v. Wiese, 271 Neb. 750, 716 N.W.2d 419 (2006). The admission of expert testimony is ordinarily within the trial court's discretion, and its ruling will be upheld absent an abuse of discretion. Ford v. Estate of Clinton, 265 Neb. 285, 656 N.W.2d 606 (2003). Tipp had designated Moore an expert witness based on his background as a long-time trust administrator and head of a commercial trust department. Tipp stated that Moore was prepared to testify how he, as a commercial trust officer, would have handled Monroe's nonprobate assets had they come into his possession. Maynard objected to Moore's testimony, claiming that his testimony would not address factual issues that would assist the trier of fact and that he was not qualified as an expert due to his absence from trust administration. The court sustained the objection but allowed Moore to testify as an offer of proof. In a written order, the court excluded Moore's testimony, finding: Moore's testimony will not be helpful to the trier of fact because it consists only of an opinion which is nothing more than an expression of how the Court should decide this case, he did not review Nebraska law, and has not kept up to date and knowledgeable about the law of this case since 1994, and his testimony cannot be allowed because it is expert testimony concerning a question of law, and will concern the application of law in determining how the disputed assets should be distributed to the heirs and beneficiaries of [Monroe]. That testimony intrudes into the province of the Court and is improper. We conclude that the county court did not abuse its discretion in excluding Moore's testimony.