Opinion ID: 1631067
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Weaver's testimony on the effects of drug use

Text: ś 25. Carla argues that the trial court erred by allowing Weaver to testify to the effects of the use of methamphetamine on Preston's body. Specifically, Weaver testified that, based on the testimony of Woolf and the results of the mass spectra test, Preston could have been fatigued, experiencing delayed perception, and had a delayed reaction. Further, she argues that R & R failed to raise this issue in discovery. ś 26. The trial court determined that it had not made a prior ruling on the issue. While the trial court acknowledged that it had limited some evidence on the issue of visibility, it had not ruled on the issue of fatigue. Carla argued that the testimony concerning fatigue or delayed perception or reaction all went to the issue of visibility. The trial court disagreed and allowed this testimony. ś 27. As to notifying Carla of the potential testimony of Weaver, the record reflects that R & R filed a designation of expert witnesses which contained the exact testimony that R & R elicited from Weaver on the stand. Weaver also had submitted an affidavit. In his expert-witness testimony designation and affidavit, Weaver stated that, based on Preston smoking methamphetamine, his staying awake the night before the accident, and the accident occurring at a point in time when most of the drugs had been eliminated from Preston's body, Preston would have experienced fatigue and compromised perception and reaction when he operated the vehicle. Carla's contention that she had no notice of this aspect of Weaver's testimony is without merit. ś 28. As for Carla's contention that the trial court erred by admitting Weaver's testimony concerning Preston's possible state of fatigue and delayed perception and reaction abilities as impermissible under Rules 702 and 703 and Rules 401, 402, and 403, this issue is without merit. First, Carla did not object to Weaver's use of the words could have as being an improper legal standard pursuant to Mississippi Rules of Evidence 702 and 703. Carla did object that R & R failed to provide an expert opinion on the subject and that the trial court previously had limited testimony about what Preston would have seen on the night of the accident. As previously determined, Carla was provided notice of the contents of Weaver's expert opinion, which included the issue of fatigue. The trial court determined that it had not made a prior ruling limiting testimony on the issue of fatigue. Carla's objection was more related to a link between fatigue and visibility. Carla's counsel argued that [Weaver's] going to talk about fatigue and he is going to say that the fatigue could have had something to do with the visibility. The trial court overruled the objection on those grounds. While Carla objected to Weaver's testimony on this issue, she did not object to Weaver testifying that Preston could have been fatigued as an improper legal standard. Second, Weaver did not state these opinions in relation to Preston's personal visibility at the time of the accident, as argued by Carla at trial. Third, Weaver was designated as an expert without objection. Fourth, Weaver based his opinion on the blood test performed by McIntire, another toxicologist, and the testimony of Woolf, who was with Preston on the day before and the day of the accident. Fifth, both toxicologists, McIntire and Weaver, testified concerning the initial effects of methamphetamine on a person's body and its after affects. Sixth, Woolf's and Weaver's testimony rebutted the testimony of Steve Brooks, a witness in Carla's case-in-chief. Brooks stated that Preston was a slow and careful driver. In addition, he stated that, on the day of the accident, Preston had slept at Brooks's house until midday, and no drugs were used in his house. Finally, we addressed Carla's argument with regard to relevancy and probative value outweighing prejudicial effect in the previous issue. Accordingly, the trial court did not err by admitting this evidence.