Opinion ID: 1807431
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 27

Heading: Opinion Testimony re Writing

Text: Boppre tried to introduce into evidence the opinion of Douglas Caywood, a forensic science consultant, concerning whether one could write the letters found on the floor and door casement in the dark. As part of this witness' job, he studied and made identifications of the handwriting of vision-impaired people. The district court sustained the State's objections on the basis that the witness was not qualified, stating that the studies made by him were dissimilar to the question at hand. Boppre claims the consultant's opinion should have been received, apparently on the basis that he qualified the consultant as an expert to give such opinion. Neb.Rev.Stat. § 27-702 (Reissue 1989) provides that [i]f scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise. Thus, in order for expert testimony to be admissible, the witness must be qualified as an expert relative to the matter about which he testifies, and his testimony must be helpful to the jury. Boppre failed to show that the consultant was qualified to form an opinion whether the letters could have been written in the dark. The consultant's experience and training in studying and making identifications of the handwriting of vision-impaired people is not sufficient to qualify the consultant to testify as to whether a sighted person could write in the dark. As with the admission of all evidence, the admission of evidence from expert witnesses is a matter left to the discretion of the trial court, and its ruling will be upheld absent an abuse of discretion. Dotzler v. Tuttle, 234 Neb. 176, 449 N.W.2d 774 (1990). It was not an abuse of discretion for the district court to determine that the consultant was not qualified to give the opinion Boppre sought.