Opinion ID: 1507513
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of the Evidence of the Witness Pat Kelly

Text: The defendant in the trial court, the Railroad Commission, tendered as its witness Mr. Pat Kelly to defend its position. Kelly qualified as an expert in the field of petroleum engineering. His testimony was objected to (1) because Kelly had been the trial examiner who took the testimony for the Commission when this matter was before the Commission; (2) because testimony received in the Commission's hearing is not per se admissible in the trial before the court, and (3) part of Kelly's testimony was based on tests made after the date of the Commission's order. This last objection, having been considered above, will not be again noticed. As to the objection that Kelly had been an examiner and hence was not competent to testify, Appellants Pickens et al. had no authorities to present to the trial court, and they cite none here. In ruling upon the admissibility of Kelly's testimony, the trial court said that he would consider Kelly's testimony which was based upon what Kelly knew as an expert. With regard to the second objection, the court said, I will not consider over objection matters which are based solely on the ground that it [the evidence] was before the Commission. The fact that Kelly was an examiner for the Railroad Commission in this matter would not per se disqualify him as a witness for the Commission. The Commission, of course, is entitled to defend its order; and if Kelly otherwise qualified as an expert, he could testify to what he knew as an expert. There is precedent in this regard. In the Flare Gas case, Railroad Commission v. Sterling Oil and Ref. Co., 147 Tex. 547, 218 S.W.2d 415 (1949), this Court quoted the testimony of but two witnesses. They were Railroad Commissioners Murray and Thompson. Commissioner Murray testified as a petroleum engineer. Commissioner Thompson simply testified as a Commissioner in defense of the Commission's order. Based on the testimony of these two witnesses, this Court held the order to be reasonably supported by substantial evidence. In other cases involving the Commission's orders, employees of the Commission have testified. [8] Similar holdings have been made with regard to permitting a Commissioner in a condemnation case to testify as an expert upon the trial as to the value of the property taken. City of Houston v. Schorr, 231 S.W. 2d 740 (Tex.Civ.App.1950, wr. dism'd); Schwab v. County of Bexar, 366 S.W.2d 952 (Tex.Civ.App.1963, n. r. e.). Without writing on the point, this Court considered such evidence in its opinion in Texas Electric Service Co. v. Campbell, 161 Tex. 77, 336 S.W.2d 742 at 743 (1960). Accordingly, we hold that the trial court did not err in admitting the evidence complained of. As above indicated, we also hold that the proration order in question for the Fairway (James Lime) Field is reasonably supported by substantial evidence and is valid. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.