Opinion ID: 73730
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Testimony More Probative than Prejudicial

Text: Paul asserts that the district court should have excluded Ziegler’s testimony under Federal Rule of Evidence 403 as prejudicial because he claims the jury would have believed that Ziegler’s analysis was scientific when it was not.5 Paul, however, cites no authority excluding testimony from an expert handwriting examiner on the basis that it sounded scientific, but was not. To the contrary, the Sixth Circuit in United States v. Jones concluded that the ability of the jury to perform the same visual comparisons as the expert “cuts against the danger of undue prejudice from the mystique attached to ‘experts.’” 107 F.3d 1147, 1160-61 (6th Cir. 1997). As 5 Federal Rule of Evidence 403 provides: “Although relevant, evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence.” Fed. R. Evid. 403. 8 was true in Jones, Ziegler specifically identified points of comparison that he recognized between the writing of the extortion note and the handwriting examples that Paul provided. The jury was free to conduct its own comparison and reach its own conclusion regarding the author of the extortion note. Moreover, Ziegler acknowledged on cross-examination that no licensing board existed for questioned documents examiners, and the profession is not subject to standards that quantify or measure the work of individual examiners. Given Ziegler’s admissions, the jury would not have been confused whether handwriting analysis is scientific or is unassailable. Therefore, this court cannot conclude that Ziegler’s qualifications prejudiced Paul. Consequently, we hold that the district court did not err in admitting Ziegler’s testimony.