Opinion ID: 201308
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Qualifications of Defendant's Experts

Text: 18 Finally, we find no reversible error of law due to the lack of an explicit ruling on the qualifications of Smith's experts. Federal Rule of Evidence 702 provides that an expert must be qualified to testify based on the expert's knowledge, skill, experience, training or education. It is the responsibility of the trial judge to act as gatekeeper and ensure that the expert is qualified before admitting expert testimony. Correa v. Cruisers, a Div. of KCS Intern., Inc., 298 F.3d 13, 24 (1st Cir.2002); see also Daubert, 509 U.S. at 589, 592, 113 S.Ct. 2786 (discussing a judge's role in screening scientific expert testimony); Kumho Tire Co., 526 U.S. at 141, 119 S.Ct. 1167 (extending Daubert 's gatekeeping obligation to other non-scientific testimony); Diefenbach v. Sheridan Transp., 229 F.3d 27, 30-31 (1st Cir.2000)(setting forth the requirements of Rule 702). In the summary judgment context, Rule 56(e) states that affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence, and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); see also Sheinkopf v. Stone, 927 F.2d 1259, 1262 (1st Cir.1991). The trial court has `broad discretionary powers' in qualification of experts[,] and that court's decision will be affirmed unless there is clear error. Correa, 298 F.3d at 26 (quoting Diefenbach, 229 F.3d at 30). 19 In its Motion to Exclude, the Estate argued that the defendant failed to specify the qualifications for four of his experts: Lea Leavitt, Craig Mifflin, Dennis Custeau, and Chris Harrison. The Estate explicitly stated that it raised the issue of qualifications in order to preserve its objection to the qualification of these expert witnesses at the time of trial. Plaintiff's Motion to Exclude at 6. It is unnecessary to address Custeau and Harrison's qualifications here because their opinions are not relied on in establishing the facts cognizable on summary judgment. However, the district court did, as do we, consider some of the opinions provided by Leavitt and Mifflin. 20 In his Recommended Decision and Memorandum Decision on Ancillary Motions, the Magistrate Judge deferred making a decision on the Estate's charge that there was a lack of specification of the experts' qualifications based on the fact that the Estate specifically noted that it was raising the issue to preserve the point for trial. Minott, 2003 WL 22078070, at . While he did not explicitly rule on the qualifications portion of the Motion to Exclude, the Magistrate Judge did indicate his awareness of Leavitt and Mifflin's qualifications when he granted or denied specific objections the plaintiff raised to their affidavits by making several references to their qualifications. For example, the Magistrate noted that Leavitt was an experienced fishing-boat captain. Id. at . The judge also noted that Leavitt's statement was based on a mixture of specialized knowledge of an industry (fishing). Id. With respect to Mifflin, the Magistrate Judge was clearly aware of the qualifications contained in Mifflin's affidavit regarding his experience as a fisherman and as captain of the Vessel since he discussed Mifflin's responsibilities, including safety responsibilities, as captain of the F/V KATINA ASHLEY. See id. at . 21 As a district court has broad discretion in its determination of the qualification of experts, and as the Magistrate Judge here chose not to strike or exclude specified portions of the expert affidavits, and noted some of the experts' qualifications while ruling on other issues, we do not find the lack of an explicit ruling on the qualifications portion of the Motion to Exclude to be an abuse of discretion. However, while we recognize that the Rule 702 inquiry is flexible and that there is no particular procedure that the trial court is required to follow in executing its gatekeeping function, the use of greater clarity in addressing the qualifications of the experts in this case would have been preferable. 22 For the above reasons, 2 we find that the district court did not abuse its discretion in accepting those parts of the affidavits which remain for consideration of summary judgment.