Opinion ID: 1547441
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Admission of Expert DNA Testimony

Text: Appellant Baker argues that the testimony of expert witness Anthony Onorato, regarding DNA evidence from blood samples, should have been excluded because its prejudice outweighed any probative value. An objection was made to the trial court based on relevance and prejudice and the trial court tentatively ruled that the evidence was admissible. No further objections were made during or after Onorato's testimony. Baker argues that the tentative ruling as to admissibility was an abuse of discretion due to the lack of any probative value from Onorato's testimony because no appellant's blood was found at the crime scene [28] and the testimony was highly prejudicial because it displayed for the jury the bloodiness of the crime scene. [29] There was probative value to the fact that Buford's blood was found on the back of the rear door, but the medics took him out of the house via the front door, suggesting that someone else had Buford's blood on their person when exiting the rear door. Baker argues that Onorato was not the one who testified to where Buford's blood was found, but this ignores the fact that without Onorato's testimony, the jury would not have known how the collected blood samples were identified. A trial court's evidentiary ruling is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Nixon v. United States, 728 A.2d 582, 594 (D.C.1999), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 1098, 120 S.Ct. 841, 145 L.Ed.2d 707 (2000). Baker has not made a showing that the trial court abused its discretion in conditionally admitting the testimony, particularly where no objections were made during or after Onorato's testimony.