Opinion ID: 1111241
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: TESTIMONY OF DR. McCORMICK

Text: Whittington has a grab-bag of assignments of error pertaining to the testimony of Dr. McCormick. He contends Dr. McCormick should not have been permitted to testify as to the cause of Mrs. Whittington's death, give opinions as to the blood splatters on her clothing, and the debris in her throat. The record shows that in his professional career Dr. McCormick had performed several thousand autopsies of trauma victims. The matters upon which he expressed an opinion were clearly within his field of expertise, and he gave a detailed basis for every conclusion he reached and about which he testified. Mississippi Rules of Evidence 702  704 clearly authorized opinions of forensic pathologists such as those expressed by Dr. McCormick. Moreover, this Court has consistently recognized opinion evidence by forensic pathologists such as that given by Dr. McCormick. Fairman v. State, 513 So.2d 910 (Miss. 1987); Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803 (Miss. 1987); Weeks v. State, 493 So.2d 1280 (Miss. 1986); Jackson v. State, 441 So.2d 1382 (Miss. 1983); Gholar v. State, 441 So.2d 113 (Miss. 1983); Rogers v. State, 307 So.2d 551 (Miss. 1975); Fabian v. State, 284 So.2d 55 (Miss. 1973). No error was committed in admitting such testimony of Dr. McCormick into evidence. Whittington additionally assigns as error the admission into evidence of certain photographs taken by Dr. McCormick of Mrs. Whittington's head. These photographs were offered by the State on its re-direct examination of Dr. McCormick. Upon cross-examination defense counsel had thoroughly questioned Dr. McCormick on the basis for his conclusions as to the cause of Mrs. Whittington's death, and that it did not occur from an automobile accident. The purpose of the photographs on re-direct was to show the particular type of wounds made on her head, and were competent for this purpose, albeit graphic. Whittington contends, however, that the State did not produce these photographs prior to trial, and introducing them into evidence was a discovery violation. Again, Whittington ignores the fact that defense counsel was afforded an opportunity to interview Dr. McCormick prior to trial and examine every report and photograph that he had. Dr. McCormick, not the State, had these photographs in his possession. Indeed, the record reveals that Dr. McCormick offered to confer with any pathologist employed by the defense. And, the defense had unlimited access to, and did in fact interview Dr. McCormick. There is no suggestion in the record that Dr. McCormick concealed any report or photograph from defense counsel. All this prospective evidence was available to them upon request from Dr. McCormick at his laboratory. Furthermore, when the photographs were offered into evidence, defense counsel made no motion for a recess in order to determine whether or not they had been harmed in any way by not seeing the photographs prior to trial. Jones v. State, supra . Defense counsel had an opportunity to have their own forensic pathologist, Dr. Walters, examine the photographs, and if Dr. Walters had any difference of opinion from Dr. McCormick as to what the photographs revealed, to express it on the witness stand.