Opinion ID: 1595336
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trial Court's Refusal to Admit the State's Ballistics Report.

Text: ¶ 47. Ross argues the trial court erred in refusing to admit the ballistics report of the State's expert into evidence. Ross initially moved to have the ballistics report submitted into evidence during the State's case: BY MR. PANNELL: Your Honor, we would ask that that report be admitted into evidence. BY THE COURT: Any objection? BY MR. HOOD: Yes, sir, your Honor. We object. His testimony, it hasn't been substantially impeached. There isn't a need to introduce the lab report. BY THE COURT: What do you want to introduce it for? BY MR. PANNELL: Because I want to refer to it in my closing argument. I want them to have it there where they can read it. BY THE COURT: You can have it marked for identification if you want[.] Ross renewed his motion to admit the ballistics report during his own case, moving to admit the report either to impeach the State's witnesses or to refresh their recollections under M.R.E. 803 and 804. ¶ 48. The admissibility of evidence rests within the discretion of the trial court, and reversal is appropriate only when a trial court commits an abuse of discretion resulting in prejudice to the accused. Irby, 893 So.2d at 1047. Evidence may be excluded under M.R.E. 403 if it is merely cumulative. Ross correctly notes that the ballistics report was absolutely admissible as a public record under M.R.E. 803(8), and that it did have to be introduced as a prior statement under M.R.E. 801. The trial court did not specify the grounds for excluding the report. Given the gravity of the charge and the slender basis for connecting Ross to the pistol, it is difficult for us to say the trial court was correct in excluding the report. However, we decline to reverse on these grounds, since Ross was able to extensively cross-examine the State's ballistics expert and highlight the minimal value of the evidence provided by the report. The effect of this ruling on our confidence in the outcome of the trial will be addressed in Section XII.