Opinion ID: 1296990
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: testimony of victim's pain

Text: At sentencing, Von Dohlen objected to testimony of a forensic pathologist that the Victim's wounds would have been extremely painful. Von Dohlen claims the testimony was speculative, expert testimony was unnecessary, and the pathologist had insufficient experience in the field. We disagree. The admission of expert testimony is within the discretion of the trial court. State v. Whaley, 305 S.C. 138, 406 S.E.2d 369 (1991). The party offering the expert has the burden of showing his witness possesses the necessary learning, skill, or practical experience to enable the witness to give opinion testimony. Generally, defects in the amount and quality of education or experience go to the weight of the expert's testimony and not its admissibility. State v. Schumpert, 312 S.C. 502, 435 S.E.2d 859 (1993). The amount of pain a victim suffered is a relevant circumstance at sentencing. Cf. State v. Davis, 309 S.C. 326, 422 S.E.2d 133 (1992), cert. denied, 508 U.S. 915, 113 S.Ct. 2355, 124 L.Ed.2d 263 (1994). Moreover, we have implicitly recognized that pain suffered by a victim is a proper basis of expert testimony. State v. Damon, 285 S.C. 125, 328 S.E.2d 628 (1985) cert. denied, 474 U.S. 865, 106 S.Ct. 187, 88 L.Ed.2d 156, overruled in part on other grounds, Torrence, supra . Here, after having been previously qualified in forensic pathology, the expert testified that pain could be quantified to some degree by the severity of the tissue damage and the injury. He acknowledged that the amount of pain was a subjective judgment. Any defects in this testimony went to weight rather than admissibility. We find no abuse of discretion in its admission.