Opinion ID: 1316820
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Dr. Ferraro's Testimony

Text: Dr. Ferraro, a psychopharmacologist, was called by Guzman to testify concerning the quantity of medication and alcohol consumed by Guzman the evening of the murder. Guzman told Dr. Ferraro about this consumption two days prior to Dr. Ferraro's appearance at trial. At the time of Dr. Ferraro's testimony, there was no other evidence introduced during trial that Guzman had consumed any alcohol or taken medication the night of the murder. The trial court was concerned with a hearsay problem and the factual basis of Dr. Ferraro's proposed opinion. The trial court allowed Dr. Ferraro to testify as an expert concerning a hypothetical question as to the medication and the effect of alcohol on this medication, but not as to what Guzman told him. The trial court, however, allowed Guzman to re-call Dr. Ferraro if the facts were placed in evidence. NMSA 1978, Evid.Rule 702 (Repl.Pamp. 1983) provides: If scientific, technical or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise. (emphasis added.) Dr. Ferraro testified hypothetically as to what effect the particular medication and alcohol would have on a person who had extreme emotional problems. The trial court did not allow Dr. Ferraro to testify as to what Guzman told him two days before trial about the medication and alcohol he had ingested the night of the murder. There was no evidence or fact in issue at the time the testimony was offered; and therefore, there was no foundation for the testimony that Guzman had taken medication and alcohol the night of the murder. The trial court correctly determined that Dr. Ferraro could not testify as to the particular effect on Guzman until the evidence or fact in issue was properly in evidence. See State v. Elliott, 96 N.M. 798, 635 P.2d 1001 (Ct.App. 1981); see also State ex rel. State Highway Department v. Fox Trailer Court, 83 N.M. 178, 489 P.2d 1176 (1971). To allow otherwise would permit a defendant to offer testimony which he wishes to be admitted into evidence without it being subjected to cross-examination.