Opinion ID: 2452036
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Rulings on the Blood Tests and Paternity

Text: Promptly after filing his complaint appellant moved the court to order blood tests of both parties and of Landon Bell, specifically requesting Roche Biomedical Laboratories, which had an office in Little Rock and was equipped for receiving client authorization for drawing blood, taking photographs and protecting the chain of custody of such blood samples and submitting such blood specimens to its main laboratory ... in North Carolina. The blood tests were completed by Roche and showed a 99.99% probability that appellant was the father. When the test results were presented at trial, appellant objected on the ground that pursuant to the requirements of Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-108 (1987), which outlines the procedures for blood tests, the report from Roche failed to show the person signing the report was qualified. See Boyles v. Clements, 302 Ark. 575, 792 S.W.2d 311 (1990). It is not necessary that we address appellant's specific complaint under § 9-10-108 because, as the trial court noted, the finding that appellant was the father of Landon Bell was clearly supported by the preponderance of the evidence irrespective of the blood tests. Appellee testified that she had been intimate with appellant on several occasions. She said she and appellant had an ongoing affair during the time Landon Bell was conceived; that she had had sexual relations with appellant in September of 1982, though she was unsure of the exact date. Letters from appellant were introduced, one of which read: First let me say that I'm sorry I know that you have been through quite a lot since I last saw you you've been under a lot of pressure you've probably been asked all kinds of personal questions and your complete lifestyle has made a big turn and I know that had the situation been different and I was able to be there it wouldn't be as difficult. And believe me I want to be there, be there to see [Landon]. To be able to hold him admire him and adore him. I mean its pure hell to hear over the phone that you have a beautiful son and yet you can't see him. Every single day I'm wondering how you and he are getting along. I want to be there, doing what a father is expected, to show my love for you and he, to be a shoulder when you need it, to give my day by day support, to show my love and to provide. But I understand that this is all my doing so I have to be man enough to realize that everything isn't going to be the way I want it.... Defendant's Ex. 4., Vol III of transcript. Appellee's father, Henry Bell, testified that appellant came to visit appellee in the winter of 1983 when Landon was a few months old. Mr. Bell testified that appellant did not directly acknowledge that he was the father, but did so by virtue of the fact that he told me that I wouldn't have to worry about [Landon's] financial future. Bell said appellant told him he would send something and some weeks later appellant sent Mr. Bell one thousand dollars. Appellant acknowledged the letters and the relationship with appellee, but contended that at the time he spoke with Mr. Bell he was under the impression the baby was conceived in March or February of 1982, that it was sometime later when he learned the child's birthdate that he realized he could not be the father. Appellant maintained he was not with appellee anytime during the fall of 1982. We regard this disputed issue as one of credibility, a matter we leave to the trial court. Considering the record as a whole we could not say the court's findings on the issue of paternity were clearly against the preponderance of the evidence.