Opinion ID: 1609015
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Inaccuracies in Reconstruction

Text: Demonstrative exhibits are admissible if they supplement the witness' spoken description of the transpired event, clarify some issue in the case, and are more probative than prejudicial. Benzel, supra . Demonstrative exhibits are inadmissible when they do not illustrate or make clearer some issue in the case; that is, where they are irrelevant or where the exhibit's character is such that its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Id. Ford contends that because of differences between the reconstruction and the accident scene, the photographs were inadmissible. It should be noted, however, that Ford does not contend on appeal that Westfall should not have been permitted to testify about his reconstruction of the accident scene or his findings at that reconstruction. Ford's appellate argument is directed at the photographs. Therefore, the question is whether the photographs were an appropriate illustration of Westfall's testimony. We conclude that they were. The photographs were offered to illustrate for the jury the reconstruction that Westfall performed and on which his conclusions were partly based. Westfall specifically testified that his conclusions were based on his observations of the reconstructed accident scene and that the photographs offered by the defense accurately represented what Westfall had seen at the reconstructed scene. The jury was instructed that the photographs were admitted for that limited purpose. Westfall also testified that the two deficiencies now complained of by Ford were not significant with respect to the purpose of the reconstruction: to determine the visibility of Ford, and not his pickup truck, at the time of the accident. Westfall explained that a strobe light on the truck, as opposed to the amber beacon used for the reconstruction, would have made the truck more visible, but not the person standing in Ford's position relative to the truck. Westfall also stated that the open fire hydrant would not have made a difference because it was behind the truck, while Westfall was unable to see past the front of the truck at the reconstruction. Evidence relating to an illustrative experiment is admissible if a competent person conducted the experiment, an apparatus of suitable kind and condition was utilized, and the experiment was conducted fairly and honestly. Kudlacek v. Fiat S.p.A., 244 Neb. 822, 509 N.W.2d 603 (1994); Shover v. General Motors Corp., 198 Neb. 470, 253 N.W.2d 299 (1977). It is not essential that conditions existing at the time of the experiment be identical with those existing at the time of the occurrence, Shover, supra, but they should be essentially similar, that is, similar in all those factors necessary to make the comparison a fair and accurate one. See Rullo v. General Motors Corp., 208 Conn. 74, 543 A.2d 279 (1988). The lack of similarity regarding nonessential factors then goes to the weight of the evidence rather than to its admissibility. See, Kudlacek, supra ; Rullo, supra . In this case, Westfall  whose expertise is not questioned on appeal  testified that the conditions of the reconstruction were essentially similar to the accident scene and that the photographs accurately depicted his observations of the reconstruction. The district court accepted this foundational testimony and instructed the jury that the photographs were admitted for the limited purpose of illustrating what Westfall saw at the reconstruction. Compare Kudlacek, supra (courts have allowed videotape as illustration where judge told jury that videotape is only visual illustration and not proof). The court's determination was not untenable or unreasonable, and thus, we find no abuse of discretion.