Opinion ID: 1338105
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Abernathy's Appeal

Text: Defendant Abernathy first contends that the trial court erred in failing to allow his motion for continuance made by him when his case was called for trial. This motion was made specifically for the purpose of obtaining an expert witness to give opinion testimony regarding fingerprint evidence offered by the State against defendant Abernathy. Defendant argues that he was not given sufficient time to investigate this fingerprint information and that the denial of his motion for continuance is a denial of his rights under the Sixth Amendment and Article I, Section 23, of the State Constitution to confront witnesses against him and to adequately prepare for his own defense. We disagree. A motion for continuance is ordinarily addressed to the sound discretion of the trial court, and the trial court's ruling is not subject to review absent abuse of discretion. State v. Brower, 289 N.C. 644, 224 S.E.2d 551 (1976); State v. Smathers, 287 N.C. 226, 214 S.E.2d 112 (1975). However, if the motion is based on a right guaranteed by the Federal and State Constitutions, the question presented is one of law and not of discretion, and the ruling of the trial court is reviewable on appeal. State v. Brower, supra ; State v. Harrill, 289 N.C. 186, 221 S.E.2d 325 (1976); State v. Lane, 258 N.C. 349, 128 S.E.2d 389 (1962). Since defendant's motion for continuance is based on a right guaranteed by the Federal and State Constitutions, the decision of the trial judge is reviewable as a question of law. The question to be answered is thus whether the refusal of the trial court to grant the prisoner's motion for a continuance impinge upon his constitutional right of confrontation, in that it denied him a reasonable time within which to prepare and present his defense? State v. Farrell, 223 N.C. 321, 328, 26 S.E.2d 322, 326 (1943). Defendant had knowledge of this fingerprint evidence as early as 15 April, more than seven weeks prior to trial. He filed motion by 2 May for an order requiring the State to deliver this evidence to him. Counsel for defendant waited until 31 May to present this motion to the court. The information he sought was given to him by the State on 2 June, four days prior to trial, and defendant knew prior to this time that the State would proceed to trial on 6 June. In spite of this, he apparently made no effort to contact an expert in fingerprint comparisons, even though he knew a police scientist inside the county who was either qualified to perform such service or who knew where an expert could be found. Finally, counsel for defendant admitted at the hearing on his motion for continuance that a comparison of the fingerprint information in his hands involved a process which required but a few minutes work. The fact that defendant waited almost a month before presenting his motion for discovery to the court, plus the fact that, when said motion was allowed, defendant still had four days to locate an admittedly available expert who would perform the rather simple comparison test, both indicate that defendant was afforded a reasonable opportunity to adequately prepare his defense. This being the case, his right of confrontation guaranteed him by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 23 of the North Carolina Constitution has not been violated. This assignment of error is without merit. Defendant Abernathy next argues that the trial judge committed prejudicial error in allowing S. R. Jones to testify that he compared one print on a fingerprint card of defendant taken in 1968 and identified this with a print on chrome paper containing fingerprint lifts from the flashlight battery found at the scene of the crime. Defendant argues that the State failed to lay a proper foundation for Jones's testimony in that it failed to show a proper chain of custody for the flashlight and battery. Defendant argues that the State made no showing that the flashlight and batteries found at the scene of the crime were the same as those from which the prints were lifted. He grounds this argument on the contention that the State failed to show who in the S.B.I. had handled the box containing the flashlight prior to its reaching Mr. Jones, and failed to show who had custody of the flashlight and batteries between their receipt by Jones and the lifting of the impressions onto the chrome paper. Of the authentication of real evidence, this Court has said: There are no simple standards for determining whether an object sought to be offered in evidence has been sufficiently identified as being the same object involved in the incident giving rise to the trial and shown to have been unchanged in any material respect. . . Consequently, the trial judge possesses and must exercise a sound discretion in determining the standard of certainty required to show that the object offered is the same as the object involved in the incident giving rise to the trial and that the object is in an unchanged condition. [Citations omitted.] State v. Harbison, 293 N.C. 474, 238 S.E.2d 449 (1977). See also McCormick, Evidence § 212 (2d Ed. 1972). In the present case three witnesses testified that State's Exhibit 7, the flashlight and batteries found at the scene of the crime, was the same object received, processed and delivered by each of them. This testimony points without question to the conclusion that the latent print examined by Mr. Jones was the same print lifted by Mr. Simpson from the flashlight battery found by Deputy Sturgill in the Rector home. Cf. State v. Shore, 285 N.C. 328, 204 S.E.2d 682 (1974). This assignment is without merit. Under this same assignment of error defendant argues that the trial court committed prejudicial error in failing to instruct the jury regarding the chain of custody. The defendant contends that the trial judge was under a duty to instruct the jury that they had to find that the battery from which defendant's print was lifted was the same battery as that found in the flashlight in the Rector home, and that such finding had to be made before the jury could consider the fingerprint evidence against defendant. Suffice it to say here that a trial judge is not under a duty to instruct the jury that, before it can consider a certain item of evidence against a party, it must find that said evidence is what the presenting party contends it is. A party desiring elaboration on a subordinate feature of the case must aptly tender a request for special instructions. 4 Strong, N.C. Index 3d, Criminal Law § 113.3, and cases cited therein. Since defendant failed to tender a request for special instructions regarding the probative force of the fingerprint evidence, he has no cause to complain. This assignment is overruled. Under his next assignment of error defendant Abernathy contends that it was error for the court to permit the fingerprint expert, S. R. Jones, to express his opinion that the lift taken from the battery was identical with a print on defendant's fingerprint card, where the expert failed to support his opinion by testimony regarding the scientific process by which the fingerprint comparison was made. Defendant contends that, in laying the foundation for testimony regarding fingerprints, the offering party must not only qualify the witness as an expert in the field and trace and identify the objects and specimens analyzed and compared, but also the expert must explain the manner in which the test or comparison is made and explain the scientific process at the basis of his conclusion. In their briefs, counsel for both defendant and the State admit that they have found no cases in this State directly on point. In State v. Huffman, 209 N.C. 10, 182 S.E. 705 (1935), the defendant objected to that which the defendant in present case argues is required. There the witness, at the request of the solicitor, demonstrated his method of taking fingerprints and explained how he identified them. The Court, in holding that such testimony was admissible, in no manner indicated that it was a necessary step in the laying of the foundation for expert testimony regarding fingerprints. Accordingly, we hold that prior to giving his opinion a fingerprint expert is not required to explain the method of testing used and the specific manner in which he identified the prints in question. Instead, as is the rule concerning other forms of expert testimony, when the facts upon which a fingerprint expert bases his opinion are all within the expert's own knowledge, he may relate them himself and give his opinion; or, within the discretion of the trial judge, he may give his opinion first and leave the facts to be brought out on cross-examination. . . . 1 Stansbury, N.C. Evidence § 136, p. 446 (Brandis rev. 1973); State v. Hightower, 187 N.C. 300, 121 S.E. 616 (1924); 7 Wigmore on Evidence, § 1922 (3d Edition 1940); 2 Wigmore, ibid, § 675. This assignment is overruled. Defendant Abernathy finally argues that the trial court erred in its instruction to the jury by failing to state defendant's contention regarding the source of the fingerprints on the battery, after having stated the State's contentions regarding the same. In his instruction to the jury the trial judge said: So the State contends that it was Abernathy's fingerprint and that Abernathy had necessarily handled the flashlight, or at least the battery to the flashlight and that no prints were found, so the State contends, on the outside of the flashlight because the men were wearing gloves, so it is contended by the State, when the alleged crimes were committed within the home. The trial judge, in recounting defendant Abernathy's evidence, did not mention the specific contention of that defendant concerning the source of the fingerprints on the battery, but instead recounted at length the defendant's general contentions regarding his whereabouts on the day of the crime. Defendant now says that it was his contention that he handled batteries while working in his uncle's store, that his fingerprint must have been placed on the battery while making a sale at that store, and that the trial judge should have instructed the jury regarding this contention.