Opinion ID: 2259150
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: allegations of error during the penalty phase

Text: Appellant next argues that the trial court erred by allowing the Commonwealth's forensic pathologist to testify with regard to the duration of the attack and the victim's pain and suffering in an attempt to establish the aggravating circumstance of torture. Appellant contends that the expert's testimony was based upon pure speculation because it was: (1) beyond his area of expertise; (2) based upon secondary information gleaned from other individuals' observations of victims prior to death; and (3) not based upon a reasonable degree of medical certainty. We find that this claim does not merit relief. The qualification of an expert witness is a matter within the sound discretion of the trial court and will be reversed only for a clear abuse of discretion. Commonwealth v. Bennett, 471 Pa. 419, 423, 370 A.2d 373, 375 (1977). It is well established in Pennsylvania that the standard for qualification of an expert is a liberal one and the test to be applied is whether the witness has a reasonable pretension to specialized knowledge on the subject under investigation. If he does, he may testify and the weight of that testimony is for the trier of fact to determine. Commonwealth v. Gonzalez, 519 Pa. 116, 128, 546 A.2d 26, 31 (1988). It is also well established that an expert may render an opinion based on training and experience; formal education on the subject matter is not required. Miller v. Brass Rail Tavern, Inc., 541 Pa. 474, 480-81, 664 A.2d 525, 528 (1995). Here, during the guilt phase of appellant's trial, Dr. Mihalakis was qualified and testified as a forensic pathologist without any objection or voir dire cross-examination from appellant's trial counsel. [20] During questioning of Dr. Mihalakis at the penalty phase, he testified as to his experience and knowledge in investigating the circumstances leading up to death and the ultimate causes of death. [21] Thereafter, over defense counsel's objection, the trial court qualified Dr. Mihalakis as an expert to assist the jury in determining the duration of the attack and the amount of pain and suffering that a typical person would have experienced as a result of the stab wounds inflicted during this attack. After reviewing Dr. Mihalakis' testimony concerning his expertise regarding the issues on which he provided testimony, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by qualifying Dr. Mihalakis as an expert. Appellant also alleges that the testimony actually proffered by Dr. Mihalakis was not within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, as it must be under the prevailing standard. See Commonwealth v. Edmiston, 535 Pa. 210, 222-23, 634 A.2d 1078, 1084 (1993). We do not require experts to use magic words when expressing their opinions. Mitzelfelt v. Kamrin, 526 Pa. 54, 66, 584 A.2d 888, 894 (1990). Instead, we look to the substance of their testimony to determine whether it meets the requisite standard. Id. Here, Dr. Mihalakis testified that the person who had inflicted the stab wounds obviously knew how to cause death, but that forty-three (43) of these wounds were of a small, non-fatal variety. Based on his experience, Dr. Mihalakis testified that these wounds were more consistent with an attempt to cause pain than an attempt to cause death. Consistent with this testimony, Dr. Mihalakis testified further to the likelihood that the victim did not die instantaneously and was conscious during at least part of the attack, as well as the possible sequence of the infliction of the fifty-eight (58) stab wounds, forty-three (43) jab wounds, two (2) cuts, and the blunt force injuries that the victim suffered. Although Dr. Mihalakis did not express his opinion in the exact terms of the legal standard, his testimony indicates that his opinions were based on a reasonable degree of medical certainty rather than mere speculation. Thus, appellant's claim fails. Appellant further argues that the trial court's error in declining to restrict Dr. Mihalakis' testimony was compounded by its vague jury instruction on the aggravating circumstance of torture. However, a review of the charge reveals that it is identical to the very definition of torture that this Court provided in Commonwealth v. Chester, 526 Pa. 578, 587 A.2d 1367 (1991). [22] Appellant fails to establish that the definition upheld in Chester was improper. Therefore, this claim does not merit relief. Appellant next claims that the trial court erred by allowing certain color photographs to be referenced during the sentencing phase of the trial because they were unduly prejudicial. However, appellant admits that the photographs at issue were never submitted to the jury during their deliberations. In fact, appellant admits that the jury never viewed these photographs at all. Therefore, even assuming that the trial court erred by admitting these photographsan issue on which we make no findingsuch error was patently harmless and this claim is frivolous since the jurors never observed them.