Opinion ID: 654592
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Schiliro's Qualifications as an Expert

Text: 58 The defendants-appellants argue that Schiliro was not properly qualified as an expert, since his testimony required knowledge of linguistics, the sociology of crime, tape recording technology, and voice analysis. Gotti and Locascio contend that because he was not an expert in any of those areas, he was not qualified to interpret tapes or give his opinion on the Gambino Family structure. 59 This argument ignores the fact that Schiliro had been an FBI agent for seventeen years, and for five years had been on the FBI's Organized Crime Program, a squad that investigated only organized crime cases. For more than two years, he was the supervisor of the Organized Crime Program. Rule 702 only requires that an expert witness have scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge gained through knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education. Fed.R.Evid. 702. Because Schiliro's background qualifies as specialized knowledge, the district court did not err in qualifying him as an expert. SeeUnited States v. Simmons, 923 F.2d 934, 946 (2d Cir.) (holding that a veteran DEA agent was well-suited to offer expert testimony about coded narcotics terminology), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 2018, 114 L.Ed.2d 104 (1991); United States v. Roldan-Zapata, 916 F.2d 795, 804-05 (2d Cir.1990) (holding that a narcotics investigator was properly qualified to testify about the narcotics-related nature of items found in a defendant's apartment and about drug trafficking techniques generally), cert. denied, 499 U.S. 940, 111 S.Ct. 1397, 113 L.Ed.2d 453 (1991). Schiliro did not need to be a voice analysis expert to be able to recognize the defendants-appellants' voices on the tapes, nor did he need a linguistics degree to understand what was being said. Schiliro testified as an expert on organized crime, and he was sufficiently qualified on that basis. Although he had never before been qualified as an expert witness, even the most qualified expert must have his first day in court.