Opinion ID: 2372532
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Allegations of Jury Bias

Text: Defendant Johnson alleges that the verdict shows that the jury was biased. The alleged indicators of this bias are (1) the verdict for codefendant Dr. James Belcher; (2) the award for future economic losses (discussed in Part IV); (3) the admission by the court as an expert witness of Mary Pecararo, R.N., and (4) the (non-)award to the parents (discussed in Part II). The allegation of bias is based in significant part on alleged errors in the verdicts. This Court has already discussed the alleged errors with regard to points 2 and 4. Neither of these awards are sufficiently erroneous to indicate bias on the part of the jury. Dr. Johnson's own testimony exonerates Dr. Belcher and thus implies that Dr. Johnson caused the injury to Rita M. Vincent. The jury may not have accepted the plaintiffs' theory that both doctors were negligent. The jury may have believed some evidence presented by both sides, while disbelieving other evidence both presented. Such selective belief is a necessary duty of the jury, and does not indicate that the verdict was either biased or inconsistent. The background of Mary Pecararo, R.N., shows some expertise in the area of nursing needs of patients. The trial court, in its sound discretion, determines whether to allow expert testimony. See Hord v. Morgan, 769 S.W.2d 443, 448 (Mo.App. 1989). The extent to which the expert's qualifications give authority to the expert's opinions is a question of the appropriate weight given to the evidence, which is a jury question. Id. Therefore, there was no error in admitting the testimony of the registered nurse, and thus no showing of bias by the jury.