Opinion ID: 852183
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Cross-Examination of Dr. Evans

Text: Dr. Evans is a toxicologist who testified about a sample of blood collected after Baer's arrest and tested by AIT Laboratories about thirteen months later. (Trial Tr. at 1616, 1621, 1623-47.) Twelve days before trial, the State disclosed the results. The test revealed some marijuana usage and absolutely zero for all other drug classes, including methamphetamine. (Trial Tr. at 1630-31, 1635.) Dr. Evans testified that there was no methamphetamine, amphetamine (methamphetamine's break-down product), or any other drug of abuse in the blood sample taken from Baer. (Trial Tr. at 1635.) He said that drugs in the blood would have broken down some in the thirteen months between when the blood was drawn and the testing. (Trial Tr. at 1639.) During cross-examination, Dr. Evans said that if Baer used 250 milligrams or more of methamphetamine within thirty-six hours of the blood draw, methamphetamine or amphetamine would have shown up in the blood analysis. (Trial Tr. at 1642-44.) He said that he did not know when Baer had last used methamphetamine and that if Baer had a small dose on the day of the crime he would not have been able to detect any methamphetamine or amphetamine in the blood sample. (Trial Tr. at 1643.) He did say Baer could not have taken a gram or more the day of the crime. The prosecution later used this testimony to argue that Baer was malingering about his drug abuse around the time the crime was committed. (Trial Tr. at 2070.) At post-conviction, Dr. Evans testified that the best approach is to have blood collected at or near the time of an incident and test it as soon as possible because drugs are chemicals which break down and blood is not the most conducive environment for preserving chemicals. (PCR Tr. at 490.) Ultimately, Dr. Evans could not say whether methamphetamine existed in Baer's blood at the time it was collected, only that there was no such substance in his blood when it was tested. (PCR Tr. at 490.) The upshot of all this is that Dr. Davis's testimony before the jury and his testimony at PCR were pretty consistent: if Baer had a very small amount of meth in his system on the day of the crime the tests might not have revealed it, but if he had an amount typical for users or abusers it would have. If anything, the extra effort by PCR counsel demonstrates that extra effort by trial counsel would have been fruitless.