Opinion ID: 779816
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Expert Testimony on Handwriting

Text: 47 Kehoe contends that the district court erred in admitting expert testimony regarding handwriting analysis. Expert testimony must be both relevant and reliable to be admissible. Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137, 147, 119 S.Ct. 1167, 143 L.Ed.2d 238 (1999) (citing Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 589, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993)). The district court is afforded wide latitude in making its reliability and relevance determinations. United States v. Jolivet, 224 F.3d 902, 905 (8th Cir.2000) (citing Kumho Tire, 526 U.S. at 152, 119 S.Ct. 1167). We review the district court's admission of expert testimony for abuse of discretion. Kumho Tire, 526 U.S. at 142, 119 S.Ct. 1167; Jolivet, 224 F.3d at 905. 48 The government acknowledges that the district court erred in stating that the opponent of the evidence bears the burden of excluding the evidence following a Daubert challenge. As the government points out, however, the district court corrected this misstatement. There is no evidence that the evidentiary burden was shifted to Kehoe. The expert, Carl McClary, has examined documents for ten years, belongs to a professional organization in his field, and has lectured on the topic of questioned documents. He explained his methods and process of analysis. The district court did not abuse its discretion in finding McClary's testimony to be reliable. The testimony offered the jury experience and knowledge beyond its own, and thus the district court did not err in admitting it. See Jolivet, 224 F.3d at 906 (holding admission of expert handwriting testimony was proper).