Opinion ID: 1891781
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Dr. Martinez

Text: Appellant next argues that the trial court erred in refusing the offer of Dr. Martinez as an expert and in declaring him not an expert in that Appellant argues that a proper foundation was laid for the expert testimony. The qualifications of a witness to render an expert opinion lie within the trial court's discretion. State v. Brown, 998 S.W.2d 531, 549 (Mo. banc 1999); Mehra v. Mehra, 819 S.W.2d 351, 355 (Mo. banc 1991). A trial court will be found to have abused its discretion when a ruling is clearly against the logic of the circumstances then before the court and is so arbitrary and unreasonable as to shock the sense of justice and indicate a lack of careful consideration. State v. Brown, 939 S.W.2d 882, 883 (Mo. banc 1997). The record indicates that Appellant offered Dr. Martinez as an unlimited expert for testimony here today. The trial court properly sustained the State's objection to the qualification of Dr. Martinez as an unlimited expert and indicated that it would consider Dr. Martinez's qualifications as to each question posed. The trial court properly ruled that Dr. Martinez could testify on matters within his expertise and that he could not testify on matters outside his expertise. Appellant's contention that the trial court expressly declared to the jury that Dr. Martinez was not an expert is unsupported by the record.