Opinion ID: 811159
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Investigator Brian Killen

Text: In response to a complaint filed by Sanchez, Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority (“IPRA”) conducted an investigation of the April 5, 2008 incident and cleared Caballero and Peterson of wrongdoing. Prior to trial, the district court granted Sanchez’s motion in limine to exclude any testimony about the IPRA’s findings. R. 179 at 25-26. At trial, however, the court permitted the City to elicit testimony from IPRA investigator Brian Killen that he had looked into an allegation that Caballero 22 No. 10-3801 had threatened to plant drugs on Sanchez if he did not withdraw his complaint to the IPRA. The threat was reportedly made to Sanchez’s brother José. Killen testified that he spoke with José, who denied that Caballero made such a statement to him or that he had reported such a threat to his brother. Over Sanchez’s objection, Killen was also permitted to testify more generally that he found no evidence to support the allegation that Caballero had threatened Sanchez: “[D]id you find any evidence to support this alleged threat to Efrain?” defense counsel inquired. “No sir,” Killen answered. R. 169-1 at 38. From the dubious premise that Killen testified as an expert, Sanchez argues that the district court erred in admitting his testimony because it was not properly disclosed in advance of the trial as required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) and therefore was barred by Rule 37(c)(1). He argues secondarily that Killen’s testimony improperly intruded upon the jury’s determination as to whether the defendants violated his civil rights. The district court did not abuse its discretion in allowing this limited testimony. It is important to emphasize first that Killen said nothing about the IPRA’s conclusion as to the April 5, 2008 incident; his testimony was confined to the collateral allegation that Caballero had threatened to retaliate against Sanchez if Sanchez did not withdraw his complaint. So the testimony did not invade the jury’s province to decide what occurred on April 5, 2008. Second, Killen did not testify No. 10-3801 23 as an expert. His testimony was limited to what he was able to ascertain as a result of his own investigation into a particular allegation. Rather than opining, based on a body of specialized knowledge and ex- perience, whether Caballero made a threat or whether Sanchez was dissembling, Killen simply reported that he found no evidence to support the allegation. See, e.g., United States v. Christian, 673 F.3d 702, 709 (7th Cir. 2012) (law enforcement official is giving lay opinion if he is testifying to what he observed or to facts derived from his investigation); DeBiasio v. Ill. Cent. R.R., 52 F.3d 678, 686 (7th Cir. 1995) (witness is not expert to extent he testifies to matters within his personal knowledge). Moreover, Killen’s testimony was offered for the purpose of impeaching Sanchez’s credibility, so it was not subject to the disclosure rules governing expert testimony. Rule 26(a)(3)(A); Hammel v. Eau Galle Cheese Factory, 407 F.3d 852, 869 (7th Cir. 2005) (citing DeBiasio, 52 F.3d at 686). Third, the objected-to portion of Killen’s testimony could not have prejudiced Sanchez in any meaningful way. Sanchez did not object to Killen’s testimony that José, when questioned about Caballero’s alleged threat, denied having heard a threat by Caballero or reporting such a threat to his brother. R. 169-1 at 30, 32, 33. That was the most damaging portion of Killen’s testimony, as it directly refuted what Sanchez had reported to the IPRA about the threat. Killen’s additional testimony that he otherwise found no evidence to support the allegation that a threat had been made, was essentially punctuation. To the extent Killen’s testimony necessarily disclosed the fact of the IPRA’s investi24 No. 10-3801 gation into the April 5 incident, it is worth pointing out that Sanchez’s own counsel had already elicited testimony in the case about the IPRA investigation and had introduced materials from that investigation. See, e.g., R. 166-1 at 107; R. 167-1 at 17-20; see also R. 166-1 at 6-7 (plaintiff’s opening statement).