Opinion ID: 1924896
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Issue B: Did the court err by allowing Chance, Sherwood, and Graham to testify as expert witnesses?

Text: The defendant argues that the State's witnesses cannot be experts because there is no field in which they are qualified. He argues that Hosford and Goodson have found that child abuse syndrome testimony is unreliable and that there are no true experts in the field of child abuse. Graham was never presented by the state as an expert witness. She testified as to patterns that occur in families where abuse is present. She did not testify that Chad had been abused. Even so, Graham has worked for the Department of Public Welfare for over 10 years; and the trial court properly admitted her testimony as a lay witness under Miss.R.Evid. 701. The trial court found both Chance and Sherwood to be experts on child abuse. In Hosford, this Court set out the test under Miss.R.Evid. 702 [2] which governs expert testimony. The inquiry is two-fold: (1) Is the field of expertise one in which it has been scientifically established that due investigation and study in conformity with techniques and practices generally accepted within in the field will produce a valid opinion? Hosford, 560 So.2d at 168 (citing House v. State, 445 So.2d 815, 822 (Miss. 1984); Miss. Farm Bureau Ins. Co. v. Garrett, 487 So.2d 1320, 1326 (Miss. 1986)) and (2) will the proposed testimony assist the trier of fact? Miss.R.Evid. 702; Hosford, 560 So.2d at 168. The Hosford court never did apply this test, however, because it found that the defendant did not make a proper objection to the expert witness' qualifications. Under the test for expert testimony enumerated in Miss.R.Evid. 702, and espoused in Hosford, supra, the State's experts are more than qualified. Brenda Chance's qualifications are fully set out in the record. Ms. Chance received a BS degree from Mississippi College in 1978 with an emphasis in psychology and sociology. In 1980, she received a Master's degree in clinical social work from the University of Southern Mississippi, with a focus on clinical intervention with children. She was employed for four years at the Jackson Mental Health Center where she treated primarily children and their families. She worked with the Hinds County Welfare Department investigating child sexual abuse and worked with treatment groups for physically and sexually abused children. She has worked in private practice with children who were experiencing emotional disorders, divorce adjustment, sexual abuse, etc. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Academy of Certified Social Workers, the National register of Clinical Social Workers and is board certified in clinical social work. She has also presented several workshops on the treatment of sexually abused children. Dr. Sherwood is a licensed pediatrician. She graduated from the University of Mississippi medical school in 1978, did a three year residency in pediatrics, taught at the University for two years, was Chief Resident, and was in charge of the teaching of residents as an instructor in pediatrics. She then went into private practice but remained on the Associate Clinical Staff at the University of Mississippi. She is a member and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The trial judge properly qualified Chance and Sherwood as expert witnesses in the field of child abuse. Based on this record, they were qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, and education to assist the trier of fact. Miss.R.Evid. 702. As experts, they could testify as to common symptoms and behavior which are consistent with sexual abuse.