Opinion ID: 1631067
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Alleged drugs found in the deceased's pants

Text: ś 20. Carla next contends that the trial court erred pursuant to Rules 401, 402, and 403 by allowing Martha Fly and Rachel Foster, Preston's mother and sister, respectively, to testify about a white substance found in Preston's pants pocket two months after his death. The trial court granted Carla's motion in limine to limit the testimony of Fly as to the substance found in Preston's pocket. However, based on Foster's purported experience with crystal meth, the trial court allowed her to testify about the substance found in Preston's pocket pursuant to Rule 701. ś 21. Mississippi Rule of Evidence 701 states: If the witness is not testifying as an expert, the witness's testimony in the form of opinions or inferences is limited to those opinions or inferences which are (a) rationally based on the perception of the witness, (b) helpful to the clear understanding of the testimony or the determination of a fact in issue, and (c) not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge within the scope of 702. ś 22. At trial, Fly stated that she had received Preston's clothing from the funeral home, including his pants. She had placed them in the trunk of her car. After a number of weeks, Fly viewed the clothing and found a plastic bag with a white substance in Preston's pants pocket. She called Foster to come and look at the item. Foster testified that she was familiar with how crystal meth looked and smelled, having smoked it as a teenager. Foster testified that the substance found in Preston's pants was crystal meth. However, the substance was flushed down the toilet and was not tested. ś 23. The trial court did not err in allowing testimony that the substance in Preston's pants was crystal meth pursuant to Rule 701. Foster stated that she was familiar with crystal meth, having smoked it as a teenager. She stated that she knew what it looked like and what it smelled like. Foster actually saw the substance that her mother found and opened the package and smelled it. The substance smelled like ammonia, as does crystal meth. Foster concluded that the substance was crystal meth. ś 24. The testimony falls within the parameters of Rule 701, because the testimony was rationally based on the perceptions of Foster; it was helpful to the jury for a clear understanding of the testimony and the determination of a fact in issue, that being whether Preston had experienced any effects of drug use at the time of the accident; and the testimony was not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge within the scope of Rule 702. Further, Fly's and Foster's testimony corroborated Woolf's testimony to the extent that the drugs were divided at Brooks's house and placed into plastic bags. This testimony also helped refute Brooks's testimony that he did not see any drugs and no one had used drugs in his home on the day of the accident. This issue is without merit.